David Oliver: Do bed and chair sensors really stop falls in hospital?

In December a coroner’s narrative verdict was widely covered in the media. “Frail hospital patients put at risk for want of basic equipment costing less than £100, coroner warns,” reported the Telegraph .1 The verdict concerned Ken Swift, 80, a retired nurse who had been admitted to York Hospital with pneumonia. He fell from his hospital bed and sustained a hip fracture, which the coroner said was likely to have contributed to his death. Bed and chair sensors had been recommended as part of Swift’s care plan. These devices trigger an alarm or warning light if patients leave their bed or chair for a few seconds. Staff can then, in theory, respond quickly and intervene to prevent a fall or assist the …