Manchester care homes achieve 57% drop in ambulance callouts
A pioneering health app has been trialled across 37 care homes in Bury which has helped to reduce falls among older people.
According to North West Ambulance Service data, falls in Bury care homes have fallen from 83 in January – March 2023 to 51 in the same quarter of 2024 – a reduction of 38%. What’s more, the number of ambulances called to care homes reduced from 35 to 15 over the same time frame (57%) and a further 12% reduction in patients being conveyed to hospital.
The positive news has come as a result of a new digital health initiative. Three organisations, including SafeSteps, Health Innovation Manchester and Bury Integrated Delivery Collaborative (IDC) have joined forces to create a new falls prevention app.
Analysts predict the initiative could save NHS Greater Manchester almost £500k over the year and one less person will lose their life as a result of a fall. However, despite positive progress, there is still work to be done. The research from North West Ambulance Service shows that during the first quarter of 2021 Greater Manchester saw a 10% overall rise in falls.
Clare Hunter, project manager at Bury Integrated Delivery Collaborative, said: ‘The success of the Bury initiative was sustained as a collaborative approach through system partners being engaged and committed, driving change locally in digital transformation.
‘This new concept not only improves patient care, ensuring that the person is treated in the right place at the right time, but also streamlines processes making clinical time more effective and efficient within primary care and secondary care, as well as alleviating pressures on North West Ambulance Service.’
Lee Omar, CEO of SafeSteps, added: ‘If we were to model the reduction of falls in Bury across Greater Manchester, this amounts to a saving of £5.1m in just 12 months. This could help tackle current NHS financial pressures as well as reducing the pressure of ambulance staff and improving the quality of life for people living in care homes.’
Following the successful trial of the new app, a comprehensive evaluation paper will be published by Health Innovation Manchester to further support the case for SafeSteps implementation and associated change methodology across other localities in Greater Manchester.
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