Tower Hamlets Frailty Assessment Clinic

The clinic offers face to face appointments once a week at the Royal London Hospital. In addition to this we offer telephone or virtual appointments three times a week and community visits as needed. 

It is widely acknowledged that patients who are frail do not consider themselves as such or want to be labelled as frail therefore it was decided by the multi-disciplinary ( MDT ) that the clinic should be called the older peoples’ clinic.

The clinic was originally launched in October 2017 taking over the existing older people’s outpatient clinics at Mile End which subsequently closed and started taking new referrals from GPs from December 2017.

In April 2018 the falls clinic merged with the older peoples clinic and stopped running as a separate clinic.

The Older Persons' Clinic (OPC) offers a comprehensive geriatric assessment to residents of Tower Hamlets who are over 65 years old and show early signs of physical and mental decline.   

The aim of the service is to provide a comprehensive geriatric assessment with the aim to identify issues early and create a detailed support plan, so any health problems can be "nipped in the bud". 

The clinic offers advice, guidance, investigations, treatment, and onward referrals if needed.  

The purpose of the clinic is to improve outcomes for older adults by reducing avoidable hospitalization, providing comprehensive old age assessment, plan individually tailored interventions and support patients to be cared for in their own home/communities. 

The clinic is a  team made up of consultant geriatricians, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a nurse, a co-ordinator, a mental health nurse and administrative support. Depending on the needs of our service users, they can be assessed by the whole team or some members of the team. 

Referral criteria for patients 

• Physical frailty  
• Deteriorating complex co morbidities  
• Recurrent emergency attendances
• Polypharmacy
• Difficulty with managing ADLs
• Mobility problems
• Multiple falls
• Cognitive and mood issues  

How to refer

Referral form

• GPs can refer their patients through advice and guidance via e-referral service.
• ED department can refer to OPC via e-mail: bartshealth.geriatricconsultants@nhs.net
• Senior community healthcare professionals e.g. DN/ Physio, CMHT can refer their patient using the OPC referral form
• Urgent referrals target- 72h, routine referrals - 2 weeks time.

If there are urgent queries needed to be discussed with a consultant – the GP can call  "Geriatrician of the Day" available on the phone via switchboard at the Royal London Hospital. This is available Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and Sat and Sun 9am-3pm