Yorkshire
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Completed a 14-week Frailty SDEC pilot with 386 attendances and a 70% same-day discharge rate, avoiding 269 admissions.
- Achieved significant improvements in patient flow, including reductions in ED lodging, decision-to-admit delays (61%), and corridor time (91%).
- Met or exceeded all measurable NHS England Frailty SDEC benchmarks.
- Working with system partners (Frailty Excellence Collaborative, City Healthcare Partnership CIC and Hull Local Authority) to deliver frailty-attuned discharge pathways, including virtual ward care combined with enhanced community support (Bee @ Home, CHCP) and a frailty-attuned discharge to assess model
Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust
- Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (FSDEC) service launched at Scunthorpe General Hospital as a PDSA pilot, with plans for expansion to Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital when there is capacity
- Ongoing work with GIRFT team to optimise ward flow and strengthen board rounds.
- Workforce transition underway with recruitment of additional senior clinicians following retirement of long-serving colleagues.
- Successful SAS recruitment strategy helping address consultant workforce challenges and strengthen service leadership.
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- Opened a dedicated Acute Frailty Admission Unit and Hospital at Home virtual ward over the past two years.
- Hospital at Home and Urgent Community Response teams have integrated to strengthen step-up care pathways and support a Home First approach.
- Orthogeriatric service ranked third nationally for Best Practice Tariff performance.
- Developing plans for a future POPS service, with the trust receiving a visit from BGS President Professor Jugdeep to receive input on how to progress this.
- Launched the Harrogate End of Life Planning Service (HELLPS). Developed through coordination between the Palliative and Geriatric Medicine departments this service provides advance care planning in the community, supporting patient choice while reducing hospital admissions.
- Continuing to respond to increasing demand from a growing older population, with clear future priorities including expansion of seven-day frailty services and development of a sustainable Frailty SDEC model.
North East
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- Developing a new Frailty Assessment Unit (FAU)/Frailty SDEC model aligned with Hospital at Home services, with plans for acute and community-based quality improvement initiatives to support this.
- Trialling the use of Brain Injury Peptides in frail patients presenting with head injury.
Sunderland and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
- Continuing involvement in the POPS-SUp research trial focused on older people undergoing surgery.
- Hosted a visit from national research leaders, including chief investigator and BGS President Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, recognising the team's contribution to perioperative care research
https://www.stsft.nhs.uk/latest-news/our-latest-stories/research-leaders-make-visit-team-leading-trial-looking-older-people-and-operations
Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Introduced a ‘Call Before Convey’ model with embedded geriatrician support, enabling care home residents to receive crisis care closer to home and reducing avoidable ED attendances.
- Outpatient transformation programme established a single point of access through Advice and Refer, improving integration with community services, shortening pathways and reducing waiting times.
- Preparing to launch work on systematic identification of severe frailty and anticipatory care planning.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Ongoing development of the Frailty Front of House service supporting patients within ED and Acute Services.
- Continued expansion of the frailty virtual ward, enabling more patients to be discharged home with community support.
- Within the last month introduced delivery of IV antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids via the frailty virtual ward in selected cases.
- ‘Call Before Convey’ referrals from NEAS to the frailty virtual ward has contributed to reductions in unnecessary hospital admissions among frail older adults.