Assisted Falls Service

Assisted Falls Service for NHS Greater Preston, Chorley and South Ribble CCGs.

This is a Request for Information (RFI) published on behalf of NHS Greater Preston, Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

The purpose of this RFI is to gauge market interest for the provision of an Assisted Fall Service.

Falls and fall related injuries are a common and serious problem.

At present, under the existing contractual arrangements that exist in residential and nursing homes across Greater Preston, Chorley and South Ribble, care staff are cautious to intervene following a fall and call upon the ambulance service to assist residents to get back on their feet.

The utilisation of a falls lifting service locally will provide faster response times to those in residential and nursing homes.

There are also a number of falls amongst the frail & elderly in their own homes who have no support to assist them to get up.

The utilisation of a falls lifting service locally will offer an appropriate alternative service to a 999 ambulance in the majority of cases.

This service will be provided to safely lift individuals who have fallen within a residential or nursing home, or in their own home if they are a Lifeline/Telecare customer. • There are three ways in which access to this service can be triggered North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has triaged and deemed appropriate for the service.

The Provider's Control Centre will then dispatch a 'Responder' to attend to the individual. • A direct approach from residential and nursing homes that require assistance to lift an individual who has fallen. • Lifeline/Telecare customers can trigger assistance via a pendant issued by their service provider.

The service will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and for all referrals, a Responder is required to attend to the individual who has fallen within 1 hour for 90% of the cases 2 hours in 100% these cases.

In line with the service specification provided, this RFI is requesting the following information from prospective providers: • Details on their organisation, relevant experience / evidence of, capacity and capability. • Commitment to be willing and able to mobilise such a service in the Greater Preston and Chorley & South Ribble region by April 1st 2017. • Details of their ability to provide an emergency contact and response centre from where Responders will be despatched. • Ability to deliver this service from within the stated financial envelope.

Please submit your response on a maximum of 5 sides of A4 (Calibri size 11 double spacing) The information will be gathered and used to inform the CCGs as to how best to proceed going forward.