Hundreds of people across Greater Manchester received urgent help from the NHS Falls Pick-Up Service this winter, which in turn prevented hospital admissions and reduced pressure on emergency services.
The service ran between 7th November – end of March 2025 and operated between 8am- 6pm, 7 days a week (including bank holidays) with the last referral at 5pm.
The service supported anyone over 18 who had fallen at home and at the time of the call were deemed not to be significantly injured.
Objective:
- To improve response times for lifting people who have fallen across GM
- Improve outcomes for people
- Reduce unnecessary ambulance call outs for non-emergency falls
- Increase referrals to more appropriate services such as urgent care response teams and other community teams
- Reduce unnecessary conveyances to hospital for long lies
The Falls responder service was a Pan GM offer. Two teams with two non-clinical ‘FALLS RESPONDERS’ responded to non-injured falls. The teams were based at 2 sites within Greater Manchester to provide cover across GM (at Mastercall and Bardoc).
The patients were referred from NWAS and sent to the Falls service via a text message. The Fall responders would ring NWAS to confirm details and any access issues and then accept/ decline the referral.
This unique service helped 278 people get back on their feet. When a 999 call was made, trained operators assessed whether a Falls Pick-Up Responder, rather than an ambulance, would be the most appropriate support. If the person needed urgent medical attention, the responder would call for emergency support. By responding quickly and preventing unnecessary ambulance callouts, the service helped ease pressure on busy NHS teams and ensured people got the right care, at the right time, in their own homes.
Falls Case Study
Click here to hear all about the impact the Falls service had, directly from one of its patient.