Citizen’s Story – Falls Prevention Service showcased to ICB Board

A community Falls Prevention Service which helps people maintain mobility and confidence was showcased to the Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care September Board meeting.

Dr Ash Dawson, GP at Hartington Surgery, Sarah Smith, Age UK Falls Prevention Service Advisor for Derbyshire Dales, High Peak and Glossop, and Kay Baggley, a volunteer with Hartington Community Group presented.

The Citizen’s Story feature at the beginning of the bi-monthly Board meeting aims to feature an example of integrated care in action. Chair Kathy McLean met with the speakers to thank them for their work (pictured).

Thanks to the pioneering collaboration, people who are at risk of falling are benefiting from a long-term programme of exercise classes. Having identified that the nearest falls prevention classes for people in Hartington were in Buxton, the group worked hard to make a local solution.

Through collaboration with Age UK’s Live Stronger for Longer, the Joined Up Care Derbyshire Engagement Team and a local yoga instructor they started their own local falls class which are now being sustained locally.

The classes have helped to remove the barriers people would otherwise face getting to a group, such as transport, or the weather, or social isolation.

Kay said: “We have done this with very little funding, through volunteers and with very little red tape, but it has begun to achieve something really positive. I have no doubt that this service will continue to benefit people and will avoid the strain on NHS services such as ambulances and our GP surgery.” Read more in Kay’s blog or watch a short film.

The Board meeting was followed by the ICB Annual General Meeting. Read the AGM presentation.