Bath and North East Somerset Council (B&NES) has announced a new pilot involving a community-based, rapid-response service for people over the age of 65 who fall at home.
The service is a collaboration between Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT), Virgin Care – which delivers health and care services in B&NES – and Bath’s Royal United Hospital.
The service will operate between 8am and 6pm, seven days a week.
SWASFT’s Operations Manager for Bath and South Wiltshire, Nick Wilson, said:
“Any immediate concerns that we have when we attend the patient will be addressed there and then in their home.
“We will assess their mental health, as well as their physical environment – and make recommendations about how they can help themselves not to fall again in the future.
“We are truly breaking the mould in B&NES by working collaboratively to deliver great benefit to patients and the wider health care system.”
The council said that the falls team had a variety of community-based and hospital services they could refer patients on to, depending on patient needs.
Head of Ambulatory Care at Virgin Care, Mandy Miles, added:
“We are excited to be part of this pilot – it perfectly complements our commitment to providing the residents of B&NES with the right care at the right time, so they feel empowered to take control of managing their own health.”
Bath GP Dr Ian Orpen – Clinical Chair of Bath and North East Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (BaNES CCG) – said that the new service aimed to support people’s independence and also reduce the risk of them falling again at home.
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