A hospital research team has carried out the latest project aimed at improving fall prevention and support in the area.
The project, called ‘Falling through the cracks: Addressing the hidden dangers of falls’ was developed as part of the James Paget University Hospitals Research and Evaluation Scholarships, funded by NICHE.
Led by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Lynn, it looks into risks for falls in people over 65, mainly in rural and coastal areas like Long Sutton and South-East Lincolnshire.
One third of people over 65, and half of people over 80, fall at least once a year, according to the Centre for Ageing Better.
The Norfolk Falls Prevention Needs Assessment 2025 revealed that this is especially relevant in Norfolk and Waveney, as 34% of the population is aged 65 and over, the highest proportion in England.
This is only set to rise, as the UK population aged 50 and over is projected to increase by 13.2% between 2019 and 2034, with the number of men and women aged 75 and above to increase by 42.2% and 31% respectively.
The project, comprised of surveys and interviews with GPs, carers, community teams, and residents, is using findings to develop local services, improve communication, and increase early intervention and wellbeing support.
The key recommendations made by the project are to:
– Complete routine falls risk assessments for people over 65
– Improve access to local wellbeing services, e.g. strength and balance classes
– Improve access to digital or in-person information about falls prevention.
It is led by Sithara Thundathil Sunny Joseph, patient experience and engagement lead at the QEH, who said: “This project was born from a genuine concern about why so many older patients were being admitted following falls – particularly in areas like Long Sutton. We wanted to better understand the patient journey and look at how we can work together to make care more joined-up, more accessible and more preventative.
“By listening to our community and working with partners, we can support people earlier and help them stay safe and well at home for longer.”
This project is the latest in a series of initiatives to help prevent falls in older people at risk.
The Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System, which QEH is a part of, completed a Proactive Falls Prevention project in 2024, which had Norfolk County Council contacting people who had previously or currently received social care services that were at risk of falling within the next nine months.
In 2021, Active Norfolk created a falls prevention home exercise programme for those who were at moderate to high risk of falling, had fallen more than once in the previous three months, or had a fear of falling.
Pippa Street, chief nurse at the QEH, said: “This is a great example of listening to our residents and working collaboratively using patient-centred research to drive patient safety with meaningful improvements. Sithara’s work has been compassionate, thoughtful, and evidence-led – and we are proud of the role it is playing in developing preventative measures, educating and strengthening older people in not coming to harm wherever possible.”
She added: “Our goal is always to provide health education for safer, high-quality care – not just within hospital walls, but out in our communities too. This project is helping us understand more about the challenges people in the community face, so we can offer more proactive, joined-up support across the system.”
The project has been chosen for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, helping to share its research findings across the NHS.
The QEH is also sharing the results of the project with Integrated Care Boards and continuing work with partners to increase support and education surrounding fall prevention.
Reporting by Keziah Ansell
