A new initiative has been launched this week by South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) which will see community first responders (CFRs) help enhance the care for patients that have fallen.

With increased ‘calls for falls’ over the winter period, the initiative aims to help us ensure we deliver the right care, at the right time, by the right people and is crucial in the development of the Trust’s falls, frailty and older people model of care. 

Led by SECAmb’s Community Resilience and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) teams, the new initiative aims to enhance responses to suitable patients that have fallen by sending CFRs to attend and assist them.

The new approach will mean that CFRs will remain on scene after assisting patients that have fallen to assess the situation and guide them through a remote clinical consultation with a clinician to determine next steps in the patient’s care plan. Where it is safe to do so, this can lead to the patient being referred and discharged without the need for an ambulance to attend ensuring that patients receive a prompt response and receive the correct care.

The new initiative is expected to deliver a direct improvement in the care for patients who have fallen with no or minor injury. With many 999 falls calls due to underlying frailty issues, patients who are uninjured may have to wait longer for ambulances to reach them in periods of high demand. Therefore, the new initiative ensures that such patients receive a faster response while supporting the wider Trust response during the busy winter period by ensuring ambulances remain available for higher acuity calls.

Head of Community Resilience, Danny Dixon said: “This initiative is about making sure patients who have fallen receive the right care, as quickly as possible, while making the best use of our resources during a particularly busy winter period.

“Our CFRs play a vital role in supporting our patients and with the new approach to ‘calls for falls’ they can help reassure patients, assess their immediate needs and guide them to the most appropriate next steps in their care by supporting a remote clinical consultation. This means patients receive timely, compassionate support and the right level of care, particularly during the winter months when demand is higher.”

Remember to call 999 at once if you or someone has fallen and cannot get up even with help, is showing symptoms of confusion, dizziness or vomiting, has a suspected neck, back or hip injury or severe bleeding.

For further information about how you can help prevent falls this winter, visit our winter preparedness page here: Winter Preparedness – NHS South East Coast Ambulance Service