Ambulance UK October 2021

COMPANY NEWS
WHY 4,438 DAILY FALLS IN UK CARE
HOMES DESERVE OUR ATTENTION
A recent report,’ “Responding to falls in care homes: two
innovations” by Dr Mark Hawker and River Rea from Involve,
discusses how best practice in post fall management can provide
time and cost savings to the wider health and social care system.
Combining benefits of assistive lifting technology and video-based
clinical support could return costs savings of up to £3,911 per fall, whilst
also safeguarding residents’ lives.
The report goes on to discuss the importance of reducing the risk
of spreading infectious diseases by eliminating avoidable contacts.
There are clear benefits of using technologies that reduce the
number of external contact such as those that would be required
to pick up a resident following a fall. While difficult to quantify, the
reduction of contacts with healthcare workers such as paramedics,
GPs and district nurses with residents is seen as essential during a
pandemic.
Across the 15,000 + care homes registered by the Care Quality
Commission there are between 270,000 – 1,620,000 falls per year. As
one of the most frequently reported accidents among residents, falls
represent a pressing issue for providers of care, particularly as demand
for places is expected to rise as the population ages.
Author, Dr Mark Hawker says, “the risk factors for falls in care setting are
diverse and the multiplicity of elements influencing the likelihood of falls
makes them incredibly difficult to eliminate entirely. For the individual, the
consequences of a fall are numerous and distressing, while the repetitive
lifting requirement of carers puts them at risk of musculoskeletal injury.
“The pilot studies we’ve examined demonstrate that by giving care
home staff the tools to empower safe lifting reduces the time residents
spend on the floor after a fall waiting for an ambulance and help to
arrive. Organised and safe post fall care is better for the resident and
more cost effective for the NHS.”
Mangar Health CEO Simon Claridge adds, “we have been working
with NHS Ambulance Trusts for nearly 20 years and yet this report
has been incredibly eye opening for us. We know lifting fallen care
home residents is a daily challenge to prioritising ambulance calls,
yet equipment and technology could easily lift the considerable
pressures they are under and save the NHS millions annually.
“We would like to call on NHS England, NICE and CQC to review
the dynamics involved in a resident fall detailed in this report and
consider alternative care models in a post pandemic environment.”
Anyone wishing to receive a copy of the report should email
hello@involve.vc.
For more information email cbirt@mangarhealth.com
Mangar Health
Tel: 01544 267674
VCS WELCOMES IAN SCHOFIELD AS
SALES ENGINEERING MANAGER
The UK’s market-leading ambulance and police vehicle
conversion specialist, VCS, has appointed experienced
technical sales and aftersales specialist, Ian Schofield, to
the role of Sales Engineering Manager.
Having started work in the automotive sector as an apprentice in the
early 1980s, Ian has held numerous service and sales-focused roles
in his near-40-year career. These this includes more than a decade’s
experience working in the emergency services sector, where he held
senior sales, aftersales and quality-focused roles.
As Sales Engineering Manager at VCS, Ian will be a crucial conduit
between VCS’s sales and technical teams. This ensures that it
can provide an even greater depth of clarity and detail for VCS
customers, especially when working on complex and large-scale
projects.
Speaking about his appointment, Ian Schofield said: “I really am
very pleased to be working with VCS. It’s great to be part of such a
forward thinking, innovative company. After a decade of working in
the emergency services sector, I’ve come to admire VCS, and it’s
great to finally be working on some of its ground-breaking projects.”
Mark Kerrigan, Managing Director at VCS, said: “The wealth of
experience demonstrated by Ian is outdone only by his incredible
ability and understanding of the emergency service sector. I have
known Ian for many years and am sure that he be a great credit to
the entire VCS team and our customers.”
AMBULANCE UK - OCTOBER
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