RUH Frailty Flying Squad award nomination

A pioneering specialist team of doctors, nurses and therapists at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for a national nursing award for its work in supporting frail elderly people to remain at home rather than being admitted to hospital.

The Frailty Flying Squad works in the RUH's Emergency Department and Medical Assessment Unit to identify older patients who, with some intensive assessment and treatment, have the opportunity to return into the community rather than staying in hospital.

The team has been shortlisted in the 'Care of Older People' category of the Nursing Times Awards 2017.

Consultant geriatrician Genevieve Robson said: "We work at the hospital front door to assess people and make all the arrangements, if possible, to allow them to stay at home where they would rather be, instead of being admitted to a ward.

"Sometimes hospital is the best place to be. However, It's proven that bed-rest in hospital can cause rapid loss of strength for an older person, leading to a deterioration in their health increasing their long-term health needs. If we can get patients home quickly, without being admitted to hospital, and a safety net of family support there to help them, it's so rewarding to see."

The team will learn if it has won the award at The Nursing Times ceremony in London on 2 November 2017.

The team are Adriana Sinclair (medical nurse practitioner), Genevieve Robson (consultant geriatrician), Chris Dyer (consultant geriatrician), Scott Buxton (physiotherapist), Hayley Bradley and Isobel Scott (discharge assessment therapists) and Rosa Comacho, nurse practitioner.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain and chronic fatigue syndrome/ME.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust is now working towards building a purpose built RNHRD and Therapies Centre and a new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future

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