6000 patients a year take a tumble in Lothian wards

Published on Friday 5 December 2008 09:31

MORE than 6000 patient falls have been recorded in Lothians hospitals in the last year, figures have shown.

Statistics obtained under the Freedom of Information Act state there were at least 6052 falls across the region's wards since July 2007.

The true figure is likely to be far higher, because in wards where there were fewer than five falls, the number has not been listed.

This, NHS Lothian claims, is because patients would be able to be identified if the exact number were published.

Among the wards with most falls were the McCallum Ward at the Astley Ainslie and Ferryfield House's Willow Suite and numerous wards at the Royal Victoria.

They all clocked more than 100 tumbles, as did several wards at Liberton Hospital, the ERI and St John's.

No wards at the Western General had more than 100 falls. Fewer than five of those falls resulted in death.

Alan Boyter, director of human resources for NHS Lothian, said: "All patients that fall within hospital settings have a falls incident form completed and registered on the system.

"To protect the identity of the individuals involved, any figure of five or less has not been shown in the table included with this response."