guidelines

falls: assessment and prevention (nice ng249)

a gp-focused, practical summary of nice ng249: identifying fall risk, doing a structured falls assessment, and implementing evidence-based prevention interventions.

last reviewed: 2026-02-13
based on: NICE NG249 (published 29 Apr 2025; replaces CG161)
reviewer: Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP
view official NICE source

Safety net: “falls” that are actually emergencies

Frequently asked questions

Does NG249 replace CG161?
Yes — NICE NG249 (published 29 April 2025) updates and replaces CG161 for falls assessment and prevention.
Do I need a “falls clinic” referral for everyone?
No. Use a staged approach: address immediate reversible drivers in primary care and refer to local falls/physio/OT services when multifactorial intervention or supervised strength/balance programmes are needed.
What’s the quickest high-yield action in primary care?
Medication review + orthostatic BP assessment + referral into a strength/balance programme (if eligible) tends to deliver the most practical risk reduction.

Transparency

This page is an educational, clinician-written summary of publicly available NICE guidance intended for trained healthcare professionals. It uses original wording (not copied text) and should be used alongside the full NICE source, local pathways, and clinical judgement. Doses provided are for general reference; always check the BNF/SPC.