Denis Campbell’s article (GPs in England too ‘overloaded’ to help older people at risk of falling, say MPs, 3 June) draws welcome attention to a severe but often overlooked health crisis. Research by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) shows that falls are the leading cause of accidental death in the UK, killing over 11,000 people a year, more than 9,000 of whom are aged 75 and over. And this crisis is getting worse, with a 12% increase in the rate of deaths over a single year.
Falls are preventable, and should not be regarded as just an inevitable part of ageing. The causes are varied and complex, so intervention must take into account a person’s living environment and access to networks of support as well as their physical and mental health. Such a detailed multifactorial assessment requires not just specialist expertise but far more time than is available within a short GP appointment. RoSPA is calling for equitable access to falls and fracture liaison services, removing the variation in treatment available depending on postcodes. Without such targeted support there is a real risk that fatal falls will continue to increase, taking the lives of vulnerable people in tragic accidents that could be prevented.
Jules Robinson
RoSPA
Comprehensive access to physiotherapy could prevent nearly 200,000 falls and save the NHS more than £275m each year. Yet rehabilitation services are being held back by workforce shortages, recruitment freezes and a loss of clinical space and resources. If the government is serious about preventing falls and reducing pressure on the NHS, it must invest in rehabilitation and the physiotherapy workforce. Prevention saves money – if services have the capacity to deliver it.
Sara Hazzard
Co-chair, Community Rehab Alliance
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