This first-ever National Audit for Inpatient Falls published by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) 14 October 2015, reviews how well hospital trusts and local health boards prevent inpatient falls in England and Wales, which are set against the NICE guideline (CG161) on falls assessment and prevention.
Key findings in this report include:
•84% of patients did not have their lying and standing blood pressure recorded – important because patients may suffer from drops in blood pressure on standing, increasing risk of falling
•Almost one-third of patients using walking aids could not safely access them, limiting ability to mobilise safely
•Almost one-fifth of patients were unable to access their call bell
The full report can be downloaded from the HQIP webpage English report
