Metrics cuts falls by a quarter in pilot programme

It is being closely tracked by the government as part of its wider plans for nursing metrics published last July in the NHS Next Stage Review.

The strategic health authority’s director of nursing Jane Cummings told Nursing Times there had been a 26% drop since the metrics were introduced.

She said introducing a system that allowed staff to measure data and improve on it had ‘really motivated’ them.

Under the falls assessment metric each North West hospital is assessed for their falls risk and controls put in place.

Falls that occur are reported and analysed (see box).

The falls assessment metric is one of seven metrics being used by the SHA to measure team performance. The others include medicine prescribing and administration, food and nutrition, pressure area care, pain management, patient observations and infection prevention and control.

Some of the hospitals are also passing on small cash incentives to staff for complying with the metrics, as reported by Nursing Times in October.

‘We wanted to do something that is important for nursing metrics. We are looking to expand the metrics to cover maternity and paediatrics. There are also some that are relevant to mental health and we are talking to primary care nurses as well,’ Ms Cummings added.

Three of the SHA’s indicators, including the falls assessment, healthcare-associated infections and pressure ulcers, have been recommended as ‘front runners’ for a national metrics programme in State of the Art Metrics for Nursing: A Rapid Appraisal, published by England’s National Nursing Research Unit.

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