A brand-new Frailty Short Stay Unit is now open on Ward 3 at HRI. The focus of the unit is to provide patient-centred holistic care to patients who are identified as frail.

The ward will accommodate frail patients who are unable to be discharged on the same day and require a short stay in hospital, following assessment by the Acute Frailty Team. The Ward 3 team will then continue the patient's assessment, with a focus on providing a supported discharge.

The ward opened to six new patients last week as part of a phased approach, with a view to increasing to 13 beds in the near future.

The aim is to reduce length of stay for our frail patients and ensure effective discharge planning to avoid readmission.

Frailty Matron, Charlotte Bowdell, said: “The short stay frailty unit will provide excellent and specialist care for our frail patients, ensuring their functional and social needs are met when they require a stay in hospital.

"We work closely with all members of the MDT to ensure our patients' stay is as short and comfortable as possible. We already have an excellent team in place and look forward to building on this and creating a dynamic and caring team.”