Supporting Falls Prevention Week

As part of our longstanding partnership with City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP CIC), Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and Humber NHS Foundation Trust, we offer a rapid 24/7 response for falls patients in Hull.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service Hull FIRST (Falls Intervention Response Safety Team) is a frontline service that responds to people falling in their own homes.

The Team is called out via lifeline or 111 and triaged with the CHCP Urgent Care Practitioners who are based at Bransholme Health Centre.

The Team is responsible for assessing the patient upon arrival for injuries and any obvious dangers while gathering information on what caused the fall.

Darren Moore, Hull FIRST, said: “During the course of my time with Hull FIRST I have seen many people get the help they require, giving them the opportunity to stay in their own home for longer with support.

“Ambulance services in the UK are currently under intense pressure and our Hull FIRST team helps to ease these pressures and support our colleagues in the ambulance service.

"All occupiers are offered a Home Safety visit that provides them with further support and advice on keeping safe from fire, helping to keep our communities safe.”

After this, a series of tests and observations are carried out to explore any underlying medical reason for the fall.

The information gathered is relayed back to the duty CHCP Urgent Care Practitioner to determine the next level of response which can be:

• A follow-up with a CHCP Occupation Therapist, from the Hull and East Riding Falls service, who give advice or provide aids and adaptations around the patient’s property
• A referral to a GP for a medication review or an investigation into potential illnesses
• CHCP Urgent Care Practitioner for a further check
• Yorkshire Ambulance Service for anything urgent and life-threatening.

Find out more about the CHCP falls service by clicking here.