Yellow bed bands to be rolled out across Sunderland trust after fall-risk trial

A simple safety band costing less than £1 is to be introduced across 45 inpatient wards at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust following a successful trial.

The bright yellow bands are attached to beds used by patients who have been assessed as unsuitable for raised bed rails. They provide an immediate visual reminder to staff, patients and visitors that the rails should remain lowered.

Although bed rails can protect some patients, they may increase the risk of injury for people who try to climb over them. Falling from the increased height can cause serious harm, including hip fractures, which the trust estimates can cost around £14,000 to treat during the first year.

Before the trial on a care of the elderly ward at Sunderland Royal Hospital, every patient assessed as unsuitable for bed rails was found to have them raised. After the bands and staff training were introduced, 94% of patients had their rails left in the correct lowered position.

The design has since been made larger and more visible, while allowing staff to remove and reattach the band when rails are temporarily needed for treatment or moving a patient. The project was highly commended at the 2026 HSJ Patient Safety Awards, and the wider rollout will allow the trust to gather further evidence about its effect on avoidable falls.

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