A PILOT project in the North-East has cut the number of falls suffered by pensioners by almost a third.

Action taken in Gateshead ranges from improving lighting and footpaths and arranging eye tests, to providing elderly people with torches and checking for unsuitable or potentially dangerous footwear.

Gateshead has developed this pioneering approach by working with people to come up with practical advice and solutions.

One of the only three Healthy Communities Collaborative projects set up in the UK last year, it brings together partners from Gateshead Health NHS Trust, Gateshead Primary Care Trust, Gateshead Council and Age Concern.

They are all involved in working with residents to identify and support people most at risk.

A vital part of the pilot project is a Falls Clinic, which has moved from Bensham Hospital to Gateshead's new Jubilee Wing where a team of therapists and nurses provide support.

Patients can be referred to the clinic by doctors and other health professionals in the borough.

Once they attend the clinic, a risk assessment is carried out to try to identify potential hazards in the home.

The clinic, which has helped more than 180 people during its first year, has received funding to take on more staff and provide continued support in the future.

Anne Davies, falls nurse specialist at Gateshead Health NHS Trust, said: "A fall can have serious consequences for older people, not just in terms of injury but also in terms of the impact it has on their confidence which, in the worst cases, can sometimes lead to people becoming housebound.

"Identifying potential problems before they happen is helping us to avoid this."

Following the success of the project in Gateshead and in other pilot sites, the scheme could eventually be extended across the UK.