Geriatric medicine

The department of geriatric medicine at Hereford County Hospital includes the following services.

• Community hospitals: The department supports the management of older in-patients in Ross, Leominster and Bromyard Community Hospitals, with consultant advice and input to ward patient reviews as needed.
  
  
• Falls service: Patients undergo multidisciplinary assessment based on NICE guidelines to identify and treat risk factors for falls. They are then provided with a personalised management plan. 
  
  
• Orthogeriatrics: Our aim is that all frail elderly patients admitted under the orthopaedic surgeons are assessed pre and post operatively to optimise medical conditions. This includes comprehensive medical assessment, falls assessment, rehabilitation and osteoporosis treatment by the multidisciplinary team. 
  
  
• Movement disorder: A weekly, consultant led outpatient clinic (Dr Wales) with specialist nurse input and neurophysiotherapy support.
  
  
• Front door frailty team:  A multi-disciplinary team working in the Emergency Department, providing comprehensive assessment of older people.  The aim of the team is to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital and enable supported discharges back home with close liaison with the community teams.  

Inpatients 

The bed provision for geriatric medicine is as follows.

Gilwern assessment unit: a 16 bedded assessment unit for older people with the aim of proactively management of patients enabling early discharge from hospital. 

Arrow ward: a 25 bedded ward providing holistic management of older people requiring longer inpatient stays in hospital.  The medical staff are supported by a multidisciplinary team which meet on a daily basis. 

Additional information

The department currently consists of two substantive consultants in geriatric medicine.

• Dr Emma Wales
• Dr Rodric Jenkin

 The department is supported by long-term locum consultants.