Aims To evaluate the impact of a multidisciplinary post-fall huddle, introduced as a quality improvement initiative, on inpatient fall rates and staff perceptions of safety and non-technical skills in the Subacute Care Unit (SACU) at Cairns Hospital.
Methods As part of a Quality Assurance project, structured post-fall huddles were introduced on 1 July 2023 through multidisciplinary education and implementation of an electronic template. A retrospective audit compared monthly fall rates before and after implementation. Staff were invited to complete a voluntary questionnaire (August–September 2024) assessing the perceived impact of post-fall huddles on patient safety and non-technical skills, including teamwork, communication and leadership. Responses to patient safety statements were analysed using Fisher’s Exact Test and ordinal regression. Open-ended responses underwent thematic analysis.
Results Between February 2023 and December 2024, 114 falls were recorded. There was no statistically significant reduction in the average monthly number of patients (p = 0.26) or falls rates (p = 0.22) following implementation. Staff reported a significant perceived improvement in patient safety (p = 0.018; p = 0.008 binary analysis). Thematic analysis identified multidisciplinary collaboration, risk prevention, development of a reflective learning culture and challenges related to implementation and participation.
Conclusions Falls prevention in older inpatients remains complex, particularly in the context of cognitive impairment and delirium. Although fall rates did not significantly decline, post-fall huddles were associated with improved perceptions of safety and teamwork, supporting their role as a replicable strategy to strengthen safety culture in geriatric inpatient care.