Inpatient falls and fractures – one chance to get it rightThe fifth annual report of the continuous National Audit of Inpatient Falls (NAIF) covers England and Wales facilities audit data and clinical audit data from 1 January to 31 December 2022.
1. Trusts and HBs should use their own data to inform the focus of local improvement activities.
2. Focussed initiatives to improve the quality of MFRA should be implemented across trusts and HBs. We specifically recommend reviewing data on lying and standing blood pressure measurement and implementing targeted improvement projects where indicated.
3. As delirium is common in people who sustain inpatient femoral fractures (IFFs), the admission assessment processes should be reviewed to ensure effective delirium assessment and ongoing monitoring.
4. Review training and competency requirements to ensure that post-fall checks for injury are effective.
5. Processes should be in place to hasten time to administration of analgesia after an injurious fall. To ensure patients who sustain a hip fracture in hospital are given analgesia within 30 minutes of falling.