Posters for 2026 Spring Meeting

Abstract The Self-Assessment of Frailty in the Emergency Department Tool (SAFE-T), in keeping with the clinical frailly scale (CFS), has been developed as a self-assessment questionnaire. The tool is designed for completion by patients and/or their carers on arrival to urgent care, enabling more efficient and consistent CFS assessment by clinical staff. This is version 3 of the tool, developed via PDSA cycles and co-produced with patients and the MDT. Method SAFE-T questionnaires were distributed among a convenience sample of patients over 65 years of age in the ED and acute medicine unit

Introduction Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in the emergency department can reduce length-of-stay and prevent functional decline in older adults. However, CGA is a complex intervention requiring multi-disciplinary input and appropriate resource investment, making it challenging to deliver for ‘front-door’ frailty services. We hypothesised that improved utilisation of existing functionality within the electronic health record (EHR) could enhance delivery of high fidelity CGA in the emergency setting. Methods Quality improvement methodology was employed to evaluate a standardised

Introduction Accurate prehospital frailty scoring allows direct admission to older persons' assessment units (OPAU), enabling early comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. The Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) uses the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) to guide pathway decisions, and patients scoring ≥5 may be eligible for direct OPAU admission. We compared paramedic CFS scores with those derived from in-hospital CGA, and surveyed paramedics about their training needs. Method We undertook a single-point data collection across OPAU and acute

Polypharmacy is highly prevalent among frail older adults due to multi-morbidity and is a major contributor to medication-related harm. Of particular concern is anticholinergic burden, resulting from the cumulative use of drugs with anticholinergic properties. In frail older patients, high anticholinergic burden is associated with cognitive impairment, delirium, falls, functional decline, increased hospitalisation and mortality. Careful medication review and reduction of anticholinergic burden are therefore important components of comprehensive geriatric care. Methods: A retrospective review

Introduction Inpatient falls are among the most common and preventable adverse events in acute hospitals. Appropriate footwear is a simple, low-cost intervention that may reduce falls and deconditioning. This study evaluated footwear worn by older medical inpatients and explored associations between footwear adequacy, falls, mobility and cognition. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional review of a sample of patients aged ≥65 yrs on general medical wards, excluding those in critical care, clinically unstable or end of life. Demographics, reason for admission, mobility, cognitive impairment

Introduction The UK population is ageing, resulting in increasing numbers of older patients being admitted to hospital. At St Peter’s Hospital, Summary Acute Medicine Indicator Table (SAMIT) data show that frail patients aged over 75 have an average length of stay of 10.5 days. This group is particularly vulnerable to hospital-acquired harms, including infection, falls, and delirium, making early assessment and discharge a key priority. Method This quality improvement project utilised Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles to assess discharge rates for patients aged over 75 admitted via the acute

Background: Agitation is a distressing symptom of dementia. Some research suggests that engaging in music can reduce this symptom. This review synthesises recent evidence on this. Methods: A search was conducted of Pubmed articles in the last 10 years. A two-stage screening of the titles and abstracts was conducted. A narrative synthesis was performed due to heterogeneity of methods. Results: The search yielded 24 papers of which 15 were excluded. These studies were either randomised controlled trials or before-after studies. They all had an objective scale used to assess agitation as an

Introduction The GMC requires medical graduates to “recognise and show respect for the roles and expertise of other health and social care professionals”. Despite this, we identified a gap in final-year medical students’ understanding of the roles of multidisciplinary team (MDT) members in older patients’ discharge (OPD). Method As Clinical Fellows at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, we provide near-peer teaching for undergraduate medical students at the University of Leeds. We surveyed final-year medical students’ knowledge of MDT members’ roles in facilitating safe OPD, specifically

Introduction The pharmacist’s role has been shown to be beneficial in the care of older people, and literature advocates for their inclusion within multidisciplinary teams due to particular features of this patient group (including prevalence of polypharmacy, and changing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ageing.) This work aims to evaluate the impact of a service change - namely the provision of a pharmacist independent prescriber (PIP) service (with a scope of practice and specialist interest in geriatrics), to the Older Person’s Acute Medical Unit (OPAMU). Method Data collection

Introduction: A discharge summary is the primary and most important way of communication between primary and secondary care. Patients when discharged should have a good discharge summary as it works as handover between hospital doctors and the community medical services. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has a checklist for discharge summaries which shows the amount of information that should be added in the discharge summary. Method: 40 patient Data was collected retrospectively for patients who were discharged from Older Persons Assessment Unit (OPAU)- Morriston Hospital in August 2025

Introduction: Previous work identified eleven domains related to Hospital-Acquired Deconditioning (HAD), and a clinical assessment tool (CAT) was subsequently developed to measure changes in patient condition during a hospital stay. As the CAT aimed to identify and monitor HAD in hospital in-patients, testing was required to ensure the tool was appropriate for use. This project was funded by NHS Wales Six Goals Programme/Value Transformation and led by CEDAR. Methods: Two rounds of pilot testing were undertaken, involving staff members in two health boards. Iterative development continued

Background and Aims The GMC specify foundation doctors must be competent assessing medical emergencies and making appropriate decisions during end-of-life care. However current literature identifies medical students’ confidence in palliative care skills, including communicating with dying patients and families is low, and many feel unprepared to attend emergencies. With an ageing population, and prevalence of frailty expected to rise significantly, competence in assessing acutely unwell older adults is essential for foundation doctors. This teaching programme aims to improve students’

Introduction Frailty represents a multidimensional vulnerability associated with adverse outcomes in hospital and community settings. Despite this complexity, chronological age is often used as a surrogate marker for frailty severity. This study evaluates whether age reliably reflects frailty complexity by analysing two frailty census datasets collected in 2023 and 2025. Method Two frailty data sets at PPH (June 2023 and December 2025) were examined. Key variables extracted included age and Clinical Frailty Score (CFS). Data were cleaned and converted to numeric formats. Only rows with valid

Introduction Frail older adults account for a substantial proportion of unplanned hospital admissions. This study compares frailty-related admissions to Prince Philip Hospital (PPH) between June 2023 and December 2025 to evaluate changes in patient characteristics, prescribing burden, and admission pathways following standardisation of frailty data capture. Method A retrospective analysis was undertaken using standardised frailty datasets from June 2023 (n=77) and December 2025 (n=113). Variables included age, Clinical Frailty Score (CFS), polypharmacy prevalence, Anticholinergic Cognitive

Introduction Delirium in older adults is associated with increased morbidity, functional decline and mortality. NICE recommends the use of the 4AT within 24 hours of admission in adults aged ≥ 65 years. However, completion rates in clinical practice remain suboptimal. This quality improvement project aimed to improve recognition of acute delirium on a geriatric ward in Queen’s Hospital, by increasing the proportion of new ward admissions with a documented diagnosis of delirium and corresponding management plan by 20% through improved use of the 4AT. Methods Baseline data were collected over

Introduction Polypharmacy is defined as use of 5+ medications. An anticholinergic burden score (ACB) 3+ increases risk of adverse outcomes in frail patients including falls, cognitive decline, and mortality. Optimising older adults’ medication regimen is a critical element of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). Method In December 2025 a frailty census was completed at Prince Philip Hospital (PPH). Criteria for inclusion were age ≥65 years. Data was collected for a range of metrics including Clinical Frailty Scale score (CFS), polypharmacy, anti-cholinergic burden, and whether admitted

Objective: The Welsh Acute Frailty Service guidelines require Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) completion within 60 minutes of arrival into urgent care outlining a clear need for staff to be confident using the CFS in these settings. This study evaluates use of a training package to educate healthcare staff on using the CFS in an acute setting. Method: Patient interviews were recorded in the emergency and acute medical units from which videos were created to explain how each patient’s CFS had been calculated. Patient stories and photographs were also used in an educational poster to support the

Introduction Investigations requested as an inpatient were not reliably followed up in our hospital. Poor coordination of post-discharge follow-up can lead to delayed results review, threatening patient safety. This uncertainty contributes to increased length of stay, a risk factor for deconditioning and delirium. In older adults, results must be reviewed in the context of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, allowing robust advanced care planning and ensuring onward investigations are tailored to the individual. We implemented a consultant-supervised, Internal Medicine Trainee (IMT)-led

Introduction Timely and safe patient discharge is essential for quality care of older adults. On our 28-bedded older persons’ ward, frequent barriers—delays in electronic discharge letter and prescription(EDL/TTO), pharmacy screening, transport, package-of-care coordination, and carer updates —contributed to late and incomplete discharges. Baseline observations demonstrated variable completion of discharge tasks and inconsistent communication within the multidisciplinary team(MDT).This resident doctor lead project introduced a standardised checklist to improve discharge efficiency. Methods A

Introduction Advance Care Planning (ACP) enables patients to express preferences for end-of-life care, supporting dignity and reducing uncertainty for next of kin. In primary care, ACP documentation is often inconsistent, particularly among ethnic minority patients, with barriers including language discordance, cultural beliefs around discussing death, and limited awareness of end-of-life options. This quality improvement project aimed to increase ACP documentation among eligible patients in a diverse general practice in England, whilst assessing equity of uptake by ethnicity. Methods The plan