National audit of falls and bone health in older people

National audit of falls and bone health

The national audit of falls and bone health in older people was commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) as part of the National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes (NCAPOP). Organisational audits were carried out in 2005 and 2008. A clinical audit was carried out in 2007.

In 2010 both an organisational and clinical audit were performed together as part of the falls and bone health audit programme. Information on nearly 10,000 patients came from all NHS Acute Trusts, or equivalent, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as Primary Care Organisations, Mental Health Trusts and a sample of care homes.

Falling standards, broken promises– a lay summary of the 2010 falls and bone health audit report

An information booklet which is based on the national audit results and aimed at the general public has been produced. This booklet summarises the full length report of the 2010 national audit of falls and bone health, written for older people at risk of falls, and their friends, relatives, carers and neighbours.  It details the services available for people at risk of falls and fractures, as well as the standards of care that people should expect from these services.

Patient and public involvement work

To complement the national audit the HQIP is funding a parallel patient involvement project looking at older people’s experiences of therapeutic exercise as part of falls services.  The aim of the project is to do a more detailed piece of work around the provision and uptake of evidence based therapeutic exercises for the primary and secondary prevention of falls using a service user questionnaire.

Data collection for this project has now finished and a report will be published in March 2012.

Report of the 2011 inpatient falls pilot audit

This large-scale pilot audit focused on falls prevention for inpatients, and the care provided following an inpatient fall. It aimed to test the feasibility of auditing falls prevention and post-falls care in hospital settings: acute hospitals, community hospitals and mental health units by looking at staffing, policies and the reporting of falls. It also examined the clinical care patients received through bedside observation and case note review. The 2011 inpatient pilot audit report is now available to download.