According to NHS figures about 20,000 people each year are admitted to accident and emergency wards in England after falling out of bed, compared with 6,400 who drop from ladders, the NHS Information Centre revealed.
Falls from trees account for 1,200 cases, while 170 are admitted after falling from cliffs.
In total, falls accounted for almost 460,000 hospital admissions from March last year to February this year, up by 18,700 on the previous 12 months.
People in the southeast were most accident prone, while women aged over 80 made up the biggest group. A&E admissions in general rose from 15.5million to 16.2million in the period.
NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: ‘Our figures show a rise in the number of hospital admissions for falls – from those who fall out of bed to people taking a tumble out of a tree.
‘While falls are common and often minor, the report highlights the number of hospital admissions due to injuries from falls, particularly among women over 80, who represent nearly a third of all such admissions.’
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