Falls cost the NHS more than £4.6m a day

As many as one person in three – 3.4 million – over 65 falls each year in the UK, existing figures show.

Almost half of all falls are made by the over-80s, half of whom fall again within a year.

However, new calculations from the charity Age UK puts the daily cost to the health service at more than 4.6m – including hospital costs.

Falls are a major cause of injury and death among the over-70s and account for more than half of hospital admissions for accidental injury.

Research published in May showed falls among the elderly could be reduced dramatically with simple techniques.

Balance and strength training, home adaptations and practice in getting up quickly could cut the rate of falls by 55 per cent, said experts writing online in the British Medical Journal.

Age UK director Michelle Mitchell said: "Despite costing the NHS over 4.6m each day, adding up to 1.7bn per year, the issue of people in later life falling over is all too often dismissed as an inevitable part of the ageing process.

"The reality is that there are a number of things older people can do to help prevent falls, such as exercises to improve strength and balance, and more should be done to promote and support this."

Health and fitness expert Diana Moran is backing Age UK in promoting exercise as part of national falls awareness week.

Strength and balance exercises help people stay active and independent, she said.