NHS in Shropshire confirms end of ‘proud’ specialist falls ambulance service

A trial ambulance service which provided an urgent response to frail elderly people who fell over at home and couldn’t get up again has been ended by the NHS in Shropshire, it has been confirmed.

The Urgent Falls Response initiative was a 12-month, round-the-clock pilot project set up by NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin using ambulances provided by private company the EMED Group instead of relying on the West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS).

It was a bid to take the pressure off the WMAS and the acute hospitals in Telford and Shrewsbury, especially in winter.

In a statement this week EMED Group said that during the course of the service its specialist crews attended more than 2,000 patients, safely lifting more than 900 people without the need for a 999 ambulance. 

EMED Group is a private company providing non emergency passenger transport services across the UK. Locally it has a base in Battlefield.

On its website EMED assessed the pilot after just 12 weeks and “confidently” reported that “it recorded no patient deaths from long lies compared to the 10 deaths recorded three months before the pilot project”.

A spokesperson for NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin said this week that while the initiative “did help reduce some pressure” on emergency ambulances it “now needs full evaluation.”

A spokesperson said: “NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is committed to ensuring ongoing support for individuals who experience falls. 

“The Integrated Care Board commissions a fall prevention service in Shropshire Community Healthcare Trust, in the Paul Brown unit at Princess Royal Hospital [in Telford] and also works with local authorities on exercise-based stability classes. 

“We are actively exploring alternative approaches through our frailty and urgent community response workstreams how we can prevent and manage falls. 

“Ensuring timely ambulance response and follow-up care remains a key priority for our system.”

The spokesperson added that it is developing a new Healthy Ageing and Frailty Strategy for 2025 to 2028. 

“This strategy aims to help people live longer, healthier lives by preventing or managing frailty before it becomes severe, thus improving quality of life and reducing pressure on health and care services,” the spokesperson said.

“With our local population of over-65-year-olds projected to rise significantly by 2035, this strategy is crucial in addressing the growing need and reducing health inequalities.”

A fall that results in a long lie of more than an hour can lead to serious injuries, admission to hospital, subsequent moves into long-term care and potentially death, the EMED Group said on its website.

A spokesperson for the EMED Group in Shropshire said: “EMED Group was proud to provide the Falls Response Service in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin in partnership with the local ICB. 

“During the course of the service, our specialist crews attended over 2,000 patients, safely lifting more than 900 people without the need for a 999 ambulance. 

“The service helped reduce long waits and supported closer collaboration with local partners including West Midlands Ambulance Service, Rapid Response and local social care teams.”

The EMED spokesperson added that from an operational point of view, it was a “wonderful success” and was well received by all involved.

“The service has now ended, and the decision around future funding sits with NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.”