Over 250,000 falls are reported every year in hospitals in England and Wales. It is the most common patient safety issue in healthcare.

Hospital staff are expected to take measures to minimise the risk of falls for every patient, but sometimes things go wrong and the care is not there.

This was the case for one of our clients, who suffered a series of avoidable falls whilst in hospital that led to her being unable to live independently any longer.

Our client was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and lived independently, until she suffered a fall at home that required her to have a hip replacement. During her time in hospital for the surgery, her family made staff aware that she had Alzheimer’s Disease and would be at a higher risk of falling. In the week that followed, she suffered two in-patient falls.

She was then transferred to a second hospital but suffered another fall just days later. Her care was stepped up, requiring her to have one-to-one care. However, staff shortages meant that she did not receive this, and she suffered two more falls as a result.

The fifth fall caused a fracture to her sacro-iliac joint and her general health and communication began to decline. She was then discharged to a nursing home after she was told she could no longer live independently.

She began a medical negligence claim but passed away during the early stages of the case. The claim was continued on behalf of her estate and a Part 36 offer was made and accepted prior to Court proceedings being issued.

Fall in hospital cases

Hospitals are responsible for the safety of their patients and should take reasonable measures to prevent their patients from having a fall.

If you, or someone you love, has suffered harm during a fall in hospital due to negligence, our experienced medical negligence team may be able to help.

Call 02920 391773 or email medicalnegilence@geldards.com