An innovative digital platform to reduce preventable falls for older people in Tameside and Glossop has been shortlisted for three HSJ Patient Safety Awards.

The project involved using the Safe Steps digital risk assessment platform to help improve patient safety by reducing preventable falls for older people across primary and intermediate care settings in Tameside & Glossop.

It is a collaboration between Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, Health Innovation Manchester and tech company Safe Steps.

It has been shortlisted for three awards:

• Best HealthTech Solution for Patient Safety
• Best Partnership Solution Improving Patient Safety
• Improving Care for Older People

The HSJ Patient Safety Awards help drive improvements in culture and quality across the NHS by celebrating the teams and the people putting safety first.

The project saw the Safe Steps app implemented at the Stamford Unit – a 93 bed intermediate care unit on the grounds of Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust (T&G ICFT). In this setting – a first for the UK as the app had previously only been used in Care Homes – it has been used almost 3,000 times by 46 members of staff and helped to reduce falls in the first 6 months by 21%.

By adopting a digital solution, staff are able to access real-time information about the current risks of each patient, coordinate any additional care required and keep track of assessments in a more effective manner.

Jay Hamilton, Associate Director of Health & Implementation at Health Innovation Manchester, said: “We are delighted that the Safe Steps fall reduction project has been shortlisted for three HSJ Patient Safety Awards, The data shows that patient safety has improved as a result of using Safe Steps digital technology to support front line patient care. Collaboration from across the project team, including clinicians, managers, the Safe Steps team and Health Innovation Manchester, has been vital to the success of the project.”

During COVID-19, health and care professionals from Greater Manchester worked with tech company Safe Steps to develop a UK-first digital innovation that will help care homes to track COVID-19 and coordinate care with GP practices, social care and hospitals to optimally support vulnerable residents. Tameside and Glossop is the first locality to roll out the care homes COVID-19 tracker, which has been positively received by care homes.