CSP members urged to make their mark on falls prevention initiative

^{RoSPA’s public health adviser said falls are by far the single largest cause of A&E attendances}

The work will be part of RoSPA’s Stand Up, Stay Up project. It aims to raise awareness of how to prevent falls.

The CSP is supporting the scheme and will be working with the UK charity as it identifies the teams.

A spokesperson for RoSPA said the project was designed to help organisations maximise falls prevention initiatives in their local communities. This will include training staff and volunteers and promoting falls services.

He also said the charity was looking to build a nationwide network of falls prevention professionals. The idea is to enable sharing of knowledge, updates and best practice. RoSPA is looking for health professionals to sign up to this.

Stuart Palma, a CSP professional adviser, said: ‘It’s really important that those of us with expertise in falls prevention are involved in this project and get in touch with RoSPA.’

The charity's campaign email address is campaigns@rospa.com

In March Stand Up, Stay Up received a funding boost from the Department of Health. A £725,360 grant from the department will be available over three years.

Sheila Merrill, RoSPA’s public health adviser, said: ‘Falls are by far the single largest cause of A&E attendances. They affect most families and destroy the quality of life for those who suffer them.

‘There are more than four million A&E attendances leading to 333,000 hospital admissions for accidents to people over 65. This is why we were absolutely delighted to receive this funding to help tackle the issue.’