The BGS is delighted that our President, Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, will serve as one of three co-chairs of the Frailty and Dementia Modern Service Framework (MSF). The introduction of MSFs was announced in the Ten Year Health Plan with the aim of supporting sustained clinical improvement in major conditions.
Many older people live with long-term conditions, including frailty and dementia. 10% of people over the age of 65 live with frailty, a figure that rises to between 25% and 50% of those over 85. Close to 10% of people aged over 65years live with dementia, with the likelihood of developing dementia roughly doubling every five years. We are pleased to see frailty and dementia included in the first set of conditions to have MSFs developed. Older people make up nearly two-thirds of hospital admissions and use health and care services more than any other population group. Getting care right for older people must be a priority.
We look forward to supporting Professor Dhesi and the other co-chairs to ensure that the MSF provides a clear way forward for all healthcare professionals providing care for older people living with frailty and dementia.
Dr Amit Arora, President Elect of the BGS, said:
I am thrilled that Professor Dhesi has been appointed to this role and offer her my sincere congratulations. We know that under her leadership, the MSF will provide clinicians with a strong framework to provide high-quality care for older people.
Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, BGS President, said:
This is a key opportunity to ensure models of care and services are built on evidence-based interventions, proven to deliver the best outcomes for people living with frailty and dementia. Older people with long-term conditions like frailty and dementia need to be able to access high-quality care, wherever they live. I am excited to work with all involved in the MSF to help drive that urgently-needed transformation in the quality and availability of care. I want to reassure BGS members that I remain fully committed to my role as BGS President and view my involvement with the MSF as complementary. The MSF provides a timely opportunity for us all to get behind the goal of transforming care for older people living with frailty and dementia.
