Frail team at QA Hospital celebrates first year

Queen Alexandra Hospital’s frailty and interface team was launched last year to co-ordinate care for frail and elderly patients.

Earlier this month, as well as celebrating the anniversary, they also opened their new office at the Cosham site.

Chief operating officer for Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Ed Donald, cut the ribbon for the new office.

He said: ‘It’s a real privilege and very humbling to be able to officially open the new frailty and interface team office.

‘The team has only been going for a little time, but together they have persuaded the trust and others that this is the right thing for patients.

‘It’s clear from the statistics that their work is having a huge impact on our frail patients, and it has enhanced our hospital immensely.’

The frailty and interface team consists of professionals from a variety of organisations, working to achieve earlier and more co-ordinated input for those with frailty.

The team sees around 150 patients a week. Since June 1, more than 12,000 patients have been screened for frailty, with more than 4,000 being frailty positive.

Sarah Eggleton, general manager for medicine for older people, rehabilitation and stroke services, said: ‘The team is a collaborative initiative, with our community partners, and is a model of best practice nationally.

‘It delivers multidisciplinary specialist assessment and intervention at the front door, to ensure the early identification of frail patients and, where possible, admission avoidance.’

As previously reported in The News, the team was set up to help ease demand on A&E at QA hospital.

They see and assess elderly patients quickly to see if they require admission or can be treated elsewhere in the healthcare system.