What to Do After a Fall: A Calm Guide for Older People and Carers

In short: What to do after a fall: stay calm, check for pain or injury, and call 999 if the head, back, neck or hip may be hurt or the person cannot get up. For pain or feeling unwell, call 111, and tell the GP about every fall so a falls assessment can look for the cause.

What to do after a fall: the first few minutes

The first step is to stay calm and take a couple of minutes to check for pain or injury before anyone tries to move. That is the NHS advice for what to do after a fall, and it applies whether the person who has fallen is you or someone you care for. Moving too soon, or too quickly, can make an injury worse or cause a second fall.

If you have fallen, these are the steps the NHS sets out:

1. Stay where you are and breathe slowly. Check whether anything hurts, especially the head, neck, back and hip.
2. Decide whether you feel able to get up. If you are unsure, do not try.
3. If you cannot get up, use a phone or personal alarm if you can reach one.
4. If you cannot reach either, shout or bang on a wall or the floor to attract attention.

If someone else has fallen, speak calmly, ask where it hurts and ask what happened. Do not pull them up by the arms and do not lift them yourself. The NHS says to keep them warm and comfortable, and to help them up only if they can get up with careful assistance.

Knowing what to do after a fall also means knowing what to do the day after. Even a fall that seems minor matters. Age UK advises telling a doctor or another healthcare professional about any fall, even if there is no injury, so the cause can be looked for.

When to call 999, 111 or the GP after a fall

Call 999 if the person may have injured their head, back, neck or hip, or if they cannot get up. This is the NHS wording for immediate action, and it is the same on the NHS 111 Wales and nidirect pages for Wales and Northern Ireland.

999: emergency

• A possible injury to the head, back, neck or hip.
• The person cannot get up.

While waiting for the ambulance, keep the person warm and comfortable with a coat, blanket or rug, and stay with them if you can. Do not try to lift them.

111: pain, injury or feeling unwell

Knowing what to do after a fall includes choosing the right number. The NHS says to call 111 or use the 111 online service if someone has fallen and may be in pain, injured or unwell but does not meet the 999 criteria. In Wales the equivalent is NHS 111 Wales.

GP: every fall

The NHS advises seeing a GP if you have had a fall or are worried about your balance or mobility. This is not urgent in the way a 999 call is, but it should not be skipped, because a fall is often a sign that something can be treated or changed.

If you are unsure what to do after a fall, and which route applies, 111 is the sensible first call. If the person seems confused, is very drowsy, or you cannot tell whether they hit their head, treat it as an emergency and call 999. The NHS pages do not give a list of other warning signs, so use your judgement and ask for help rather than waiting.

Getting up safely after a fall, and when not to

Only try to get up if you feel able, and do it slowly, in stages. The NHS says not to get up too quickly. If anything suggests a serious injury, stay where you are and call for help.

If you have no pain and feel able, the NHS steps are:

1. Roll onto your side.
2. Push up onto your hands and knees.
3. If sturdy furniture, a bath or a sink is out of reach, crawl to it.
4. Put one foot flat on the floor, hold something stable and stand up slowly.
5. Sit down and rest, even if you feel fine.

Age UK adds that, in a safe place, you should hold something stable such as a bed or armchair, take your time, and pause before walking.

If you cannot get up

• Use a phone or personal alarm to call for help.
• Cover yourself with a towel, coat, rug or blanket to keep warm.
• Keep gently moving your arms and legs.
• Change position about every 30 minutes to help prevent pressure sores.

The NHS does not give a time limit for lying on the floor. The point is not to wait it out: if you cannot get up, that is a reason to call 999. Our guide to pendant alarms and fall detectors explains how people who live alone can reach help without a phone.

Checking for injury and what to watch afterwards

After any fall, check for pain, new swelling, difficulty moving a limb and any change in how the person is behaving. Some problems show up later, so keep an eye on them for the rest of the day and the next few days.

The NHS names the head, back, neck and hip as the areas of greatest concern, because injuries there need urgent assessment. For other pain, or if the person simply seems unwell after the fall, use 111 as described above.

It helps to note down a few facts while they are fresh, ready for the GP or call handler:

• When and where the fall happened, and what the person was doing.
• Whether they felt dizzy, faint or unsteady beforehand.
• Whether they hit their head or were on the floor for a long time.
• Any new medicines or recent illness.

Do not rely on how the person says they feel in the moment. People often play down a fall because they are embarrassed or worried about losing independence. Be kind about it: the aim is to prevent the next one, not to take away freedom.

For carers, a fall can also be frightening. Writing down what you saw and what you did is a useful habit, and it makes the next conversation with a professional easier.

Telling the GP and the follow-up falls assessment

Tell the GP about every fall, even if there was no injury, and ask about a falls assessment. Age UK and the NHS both give this advice, and NICE guidance on falls assessment for people aged 65 and over was last reviewed on 29 April 2025.

According to the NHS, a GP will check balance by watching you stand up and move around. They may refer you to a specialist falls service, which can:

• check for muscle weakness, weak bones (osteoporosis) or eyesight problems
• offer strength and balance training
• check the home and arrange adaptations
• review medicines that may affect balance
• treat conditions affecting balance or strength

The NHS says you may be able to self-refer to a local falls service without seeing a GP. Ask the surgery reception, check its website, or contact your local integrated care board. Age UK says a falls risk assessment should lead to an action plan tailored to you that is reviewed regularly. Nidirect adds that the GP may check blood pressure lying and standing, and arrange an ECG.

You can also ask your local council for a free care needs assessment, which can look at changes to make the home safer. Anyone can ask. Our guide to preparing for a care needs assessment explains what to have ready, and free equipment from the council and NHS covers what may be provided afterwards.

Reducing the chance of another fall

Most steps that reduce the chance of another fall are practical, small and quick to start. The NHS lists staying active every day, with strength and balance activities at least twice a week, as one of the most useful.

• Wear shoes or slippers that fit well and have good grip, and do not walk about in socks or bare feet.
• Keep a personal alarm on you, or carry a mobile phone.
• Remove clutter, loose wires and loose rugs.
• Use a non-slip mat in the bath or shower, and consider grab rails in the bathroom and safety rails on steps.
• Have regular eye and hearing tests.
• Eat well and drink enough, since not doing so can cause light-headedness or fainting.
• Ask a GP or pharmacist whether medicines could affect balance.

Our falls prevention at home checklist walks through the house room by room. Two related guides go deeper: night lights and safe bedrooms and footwear, vision and medicines.

A walking aid may help some people, and the NHS suggests considering one. Because the right type and height matter, ask a GP, physiotherapist or occupational therapist to advise first.

What to do after a fall in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The 999 advice is the same across the UK: call if the head, back, neck or hip may be injured, or the person cannot get up. The routes for non-emergency help differ by nation.

In Wales, NHS 111 Wales provides the same advice as the NHS in England and is the route for non-urgent help. Its page says you can ask your GP surgery or search for local falls services, and it does not explain how to request a care needs assessment from a Welsh council, so ask your local council directly. In Northern Ireland, nidirect gives the 999 and GP advice and covers falls assessments through the GP. For Scotland, we could not retrieve the NHS Scotland falls page when writing, so check NHS inform or ask your GP practice about local falls services and non-emergency numbers.

Age UK runs an advice line on 0800 678 1602, open 8am to 7pm every day, as listed on the NHS falls page as at November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first thing to do after a fall?

Stay calm and take a couple of minutes to check for pain or injury before moving. Do not get up quickly. If you may have hurt your head, back, neck or hip, or you cannot get up, call 999 or use a personal alarm. Otherwise get up slowly, in stages.

When should I call 999 after an older person falls?

Call 999 if the person may have injured their head, back, neck or hip, or if they cannot get up. Keep them warm and comfortable, stay with them, and do not try to lift them yourself while you wait for the ambulance.

When is 111 the right number after a fall?

The NHS says to call 111, or use 111 online, if someone has fallen and may be in pain, injured or unwell but does not meet the 999 criteria. In Wales, use NHS 111 Wales. If you are unsure how serious it is, ask 111 for advice.

How do you get up safely after a fall?

If you feel able, roll onto your side, push up onto your hands and knees, crawl to something sturdy if needed, put one foot flat on the floor, stand slowly holding something stable, then sit and rest. If anything hurts badly, stay down and call for help.

Should I tell the GP about a fall if I am not hurt?

Yes. Age UK and the NHS both advise telling a GP about any fall, even without injury, so the cause can be looked at. The GP can check balance and may refer you to a falls service or review your medicines.

What happens at a falls assessment?

A GP checks balance by watching you stand and move around, and may refer you to a falls service. The service can check muscle strength, bones and eyesight, offer strength and balance training, review medicines, and look at home safety and adaptations.

Can I refer myself to a falls service?

The NHS says you may be able to. Ask your GP surgery reception, check the surgery website, or contact your local integrated care board. Availability differs by area, so ask locally if you cannot find a service.

How long can someone safely stay on the floor after a fall?

The NHS gives no safe time limit. If someone cannot get up, it advises calling 999. While waiting, keep them warm and gently moving their arms and legs, and help them change position about every 30 minutes to help prevent pressure sores.

Official sources

• NHS: Falls
• NHS 111 Wales: Falls
• nidirect: Falls
• Age UK: Staying steady (information guide AgeUKIG14, December 2025)
• NICE: Falls assessment and prevention (NG249)

This page is general information, not legal, medical or financial advice. The Care Panel is an independent guide and is not part of any government body or care provider. Last checked 9 November 2026.

Related: Falls prevention at home checklist · Pendant alarms and fall detectors explained · Free equipment from the council and NHS

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 9 November 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.