Our vision is to provide outstanding specialist clinical services to frail and vulnerable people accessing acute hospital services.
Medicine for the Elderly is committed to continuous improvement of the care of this group, to reduce variation and standardise and embed evidence based comprehensive geriatric assessment that produces a personalised plan based on each individual’s circumstances. Complex care requires a skilled and committed multidisciplinary team as we develop our specialist frailty pathway from ED to discharge.
The role of our Frailty Advanced Clinical Practitioners is pivotal to the delivery of this new pathway and model of care. Putting the frail person at the centre of our decision making and ensuring that we limit the risks of hospitalisation by only admitting those patients where we can ‘add value’ and proactively expediting discharge home for all.
Whilst working within the frailty team, the post holder will work in an autonomous role with a Frailty Consultant, reviewing frail older adults in the Emergency Department (ED), Same day Emergency Care (SDEC), and the Frailty Virtual ward.
Whilst working within the frailty team, the post holder will work in an autonomous role with a frailty consultant, carrying out consultations for frail older adults in the Emergency Department (ED), and on the older adult wards and the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) department The successful candidate will also rotate into the community to support the frailty Virtual ward, and will be expected to carry out patient consultations autonomously.
The post holder will be practicing as an Advanced Clinical practitioner within their designated role.
The criteria for referral to the Frailty service are:
Anyone over 90
Anyone over 75 presenting with frailty syndromes- falls, immobility, confusional states
Anyone over 65 years living in a care home
Anyone with clinical frailty score (CFS) 6+ with very large carer support at home.
Frailty assessment starts at ED triage- where patients are ‘screened’ using a Rockwood Clinical Frailty Score (CFS). The ED and Navigator team assess the person and all patients able to return home within 4 hours do so. Any patient that is referred to the medical team is screened by the Frailty ACP.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.
Our Values
We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.
Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.
The frailty ACP will be expected to work within the four clinical pillars of advanced practice, clinical practice, Facilitating learning, leadership and evidence, research and development. This will be demonstrated within the ACP’s portfolio. The Frailty ACP will carry out a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and present the patient to the Consultant Geriatrician of the Day. Consultant attend 1-8pm Mondays to Fridays. The Frailty ACP will be responsible for collecting data, and leading innovation and change to improve services within Frailty. In addition the Frailty ACP will be expected to create leaning environments and increase awareness amongst other specialities about Frailty. There is an expectation that the Frailty ACP has expert knowledge of frailty syndromes and continues to base
their knowledge around evolving evidence based practice.
