STEPS are being taken to reduce the number of patients falling across Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Bright red slipper socks are being rolled out on the wards, with the Medical Admissions Unit (MAU) at Grimsby's Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital receiving them first. They will be handed to those identified as at high risk of slips, trips and falls.
Tracey Abbott, ward manager for MAU, said: "Evidence has already shown that slipper socks reduce the incidence of falls.
"Now we have these in red they are much more prominent so the ward staff can see at a glance which patients have fallen before or are high risk.
"When patients are transferred to another ward from the unit, staff are immediately aware they have a patient with a high risk of falling."
As well as helping to keep patients safe, the socks are also cost effective as they come in one size fits all, making them less expensive than previous socks purchased. The red socks are kept by the patient after they leave hospital so they can continue to be safe out in the community, whether that is at home or in a nursing or care home.
Sister Jo Loughborough, lead for falls on the MAU, says the socks are helping staff to protect patients they know are more vulnerable.
