West Essex Falls Car

The West Essex Falls Car is a specially equipped ambulance vehicle, which is staffed by a paramedic from the East of England Ambulance Service and a physiotherapist or occupational therapist from Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

The team provide an urgent response service for people who have fallen at home or their usual place of residence, and aim to reach patients within two hours wherever possible, depending on demand.

The West Essex Falls Car team have specialist equipment to lift and move patients.
They will treat patients for any injuries wherever possible. If the patient needs hospital treatment, the falls team will arrange for an ambulance.

During every call out, the team will carry out a full holistic clinical assessment to check the patient’s physical health and mobility, including the potential risk they could fall again in the future. Basic equipment will be provided to reduce these risks as needed.

They will review any care or health interventions the patient is already receiving, and make further referrals or follow up checks as required.

We accept self-referrals and referrals from primary care, 111, the ambulance service and care homes for patients who meet the referral criteria.

The service is for people who:

• Have had a fall with or without injury or require lifting from the floor, either at home or in a care/ residential home, and
• Are resident in west Essex and registered with a west Essex GP.