What does 'frailty' really mean?

Recently the Medical Staff Committee at Noble's Hospital raised serious concerns with the state of bed capacity on the site.

And in response Manx Care, while disputing some of the figures released, explained some of the ways in which it's hoping to ease the pressure on clinicians - particularly those in the Emergency Department.

One such step is the allocation of a consultant geriatrician to provide "frailty-focussed treatment planning" as close as possible to the point of admission.

But what exactly do we mean when we talk about 'frailty'?

Consultant Geriatrician Dr Duncan Gerry, Advanced Clinical Practitioner for Frailty Mark Young, and Michelle Breed, Head of Service for Intermediate Care, have been speaking to Manx Radio:

In the House of Keys recently, Health Minister Claire Christian was asked how frailty is defined and assessed in healthcare settings.

The minister said: "Manx Care's approach is built around the comprehensive geriatric assessment, supported by the Clinical Frailty Scale, to help identify patients who may benefit from a holistic, multidisciplinary assessment of their needs.

"These tools are widely used across the UK and are supported by a strong evidence base.

"Patients with higher clinical frailty scale scores who are managed through the comprehensive geriatric assessment have been shown to have reduced mortality, better functional outcomes and improved likelihood of living well at home for 12 months later than those who are not."