Recommendation 9

In 2024–25, 32 of 106 local NHS areas (known as sub-ICBs) assessed less than 10% of their registered patients aged 65 or over. However, nine of 106 local areas assessed 90% or more of this group of people, suggesting that good performance is possible within existing resources.18 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines specify that any patient living with frailty who has fallen in the past year should be offered a comprehensive falls risk assessment and comprehensive falls management. The data indicate that most local areas (70%) are not following NICE guidelines as the number of people who had a falls risk assessment is lower than the number of people who had a fall. There is also significant local variation across local NHS areas in the percentage of care home residents with agreed or reviewed care plans.19