Our multi-professional team consists of Consultants and General Practitioners, resident doctors and Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Multi-disciplinary Assistants, Rehabilitation Assistants, Specialist Pharmacists, the Discharge Planning team, and our skilled nurses on the wards and in our community teams.
We work closely with colleagues in social care and mental health, and with other inpatient and outpatient medical and surgical specialties.
Services
Acute medical admissions:
There is no specific age cut-off to be admitted under the care of a Geriatrician, rather we focus on the patients who need our specialist skills the most. Our team focuses on patients over the age of 65 who live in Care Homes, or over the age of 75 who have syndromes associated with clinical frailty, such as falls, instability, confusion or incontinence (or a combination of these) as well as the acute medical condition(s) which may have led to their admission to Hospital.
All patients who are suitable for admission under the care of a Geriatrician should be admitted to our dedicated Acute Frailty Unit (AFU) on Swaledale ward (hyperlink awaited) unless an alternative ward is clinically required, for instance if a heart attack or stroke is suspected, or if a higher level of monitoring is required.
If a patient is expected to need to remain in hospital for more than 72 hours, they will move to one of our specialist Frailty wards on Jervaulx Ward or Byland Ward.
Stroke medicine:
Inpatient stroke care takes place on Granby Ward.
Orthogeriatrics:
All patients admitted with a hip fracture are under the shared care of an Orthopaedic Surgeon and our Orthogeriatricians. Patients are cared for on Fountains Ward where they will have a holistic assessments of their needs, including an assessment of falls risk and bone health. All hip fracture patients are entered on the National Hip Fracture Database. Patients may transfer to Trinity Ward or to Station View (NYCC Care Home) for further rehabilitation prior to going home.
The Orthogeriatricians also provide advice to a number of elective orthopaedic / non-hip fracture patients who have medical issues
Frailty Hospital at Home:
This service provides care and support for older people with frailty who become acutely unwell, but who can safely be cared for in their own home. The patient’s care will be led by a HDFT Geriatrician or specialist GP.
Rehabilitation:
Geriatricians, GPs and specialist frailty Advanced Clinical Practitioners support rehabilitation on Trinity Ward at Ripon Community Hospital, and a Geriatrician provides in reach to patients having rehabilitation at Station View (c/o North Yorkshire Council)
Outpatient services (Elmwood Day Unit, Harrogate District Hospital)
Geriatric Medicine
Clinician: Dr Norman
Day: alternate Wednesday afternoon
Referral: GP via ERS, referral letter from inpatient teams, email for follow up appointments to [email protected]
Geriatric Medicine and Polypharmacy
Clinician: Dr Ralston
Day: alternate Tuesday afternoon
Referral: GP via ERS, referral letter from inpatient teams, email for follow up appointments to [email protected]
Geriatric Medicine & Complex falls
Clinician: Dr McCreanor
Day: alternate Wednesday morning
Referral: GP via ERS, referral letter from inpatient teams, email for follow up appointments to [email protected]
Geriatric Medicine & Continence
Clinician: Dr Gunaratna
Day: alternate Wednesday afternoon
Referral: GP via ERS, referral letter from inpatient teams, email for follow up appointments to [email protected]
Parkinson’s disease and Movement Disorders in patients over 75 yrs
Clinician: Dr Ipshita Scarrott
Location: Elmwood Day Unit, Harrogate District Hospital
Day: Thursday afternoon
Referral: GP via ERS, referral letter from inpatient teams, email for follow up appointments to [email protected]
Orthogeriatric (hip fracture) follow-up clinic
Clinician: Dr Rebecca Leigh
Day: Tuesday mornings
Referral: not open to new appointments on ERS, but happy to review referral letters for relevant patients
Stroke and Transient Ischaemic Attack
Clinician: Dr Brotheridge and Dr Nasar
Day: Monday to Friday
Referral: By ERS from GP or ED referrals via email [email protected]