More than £12,000 has been awarded to help reduce the number of falls for patients recovering from a stroke.

The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and University of East Anglia have launched a year-long research study to examine whether those who have suffered a stroke are more likely to have a subsequent fall due to their diet.

Eliza Tassone, part of the neurosciences team at NNUH, is working with dietitians Kris Howell, Emma Lines, Amanda Branford and Rachael Checkland, and stroke consultant Dr Kneale Metcalf, as well as UEA researchers, Physiotherapist Dr Kath Mares and Dietitians Dr Lee Hooper and Prof Ailsa Welch on the project, which received a £12,500 grant from NNUH research capability fund.

She said: “If we find out that poor nutritional status is associated with falls and fractures post-stroke, we’ll be able to provide patients with more targeted nutritional interventions and information to potentially reduce the incidence, preventing further hospital admissions and costs to the NHS.”