A report by the National Patient Safety Agency based on an analysis of over 200,000 falls, found that the majority of falls resulted in no harm; however other consequences such as a loss of confidence, increased likelihood of discharge to a residential or nursing home or an increased length of stay in the hospital cannot be easily captured or quantified. This article reports on a study undertaken to identify the risk factors and trends present in a cohort of patients that have suffered a fall in a community hospital.

Chetan Shah MPharm, Dip Clin Pharm, Cert Psych Ther., Principal Pharmacist – Community Services, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust,
Gillian Williams, MSc,BSc, RGN, Modern Matron, Ealing Hospital NHS Trust,
Jaikishan Joshi and Roobi Aziz, Research Students, School of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire.

Article accepted for publication: January 2012