Supporting people living with frailty in Pembrokeshire
7 February 2025
Withybush Hospital welcomed Jeremy Miles, MS Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on Thursday 6 February to share how the hospital is proactively managing the care of people living with frailty.
The Cabinet Secretary met with the team who have developed an acute frailty service model care for people who are at highest risk of falls, disability, admission to hospital, or the need for long-term care whilst visiting a decant ward funded by Welsh Government to support the phase two of the fire safety works at the hospital.
Dr Angela Puffet, Consultant Physician specialising in care for the elderly at Withybush Hospital explains: “Frailty is a distinctive state of health related to the ageing process in which many of the body’s systems gradually lose their in-built reserves. Around 10 per cent of people aged over 65 years have frailty, rising to between a quarter and a half of those aged over 85.
“People with frailty benefit from a multidisciplinary approach, allowing patients to access a comprehensive assessment by the specialist multidisciplinary team within 24 to 72 hours of admission. This is an evidence-based intervention aimed at reducing the risk of falls, disability and being admitted to hospital.”
Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, said: "This was an opportunity to see first-hand how the unit at Withybush Hospital is supporting older people from the Pembrokeshire area to maintain their independence, which will lead to a better quality-of-life and ease pressure on the NHS.
“This high-quality unit brings together clinicians and professionals across health and social care to provide expert care when it's needed, focusing on the principle of same day emergency care, helping to prevent complications, reduce avoidable hospital stays, and support people to return home when they are fit and ready to go home.”
Hywel Dda University Health Board (UHB) was the first Welsh health board to join the Acute Frailty Network in 2018. Following this, the team pioneered an ambitious frailty improvement project, with the aim to build on the excellent work already being done with patients with dementia and to incorporate frail patients into these improvements.
Bethan Andrews, Acting General Manager at Withybush Hospital, said: “We are delighted to share the work being done with Mr Miles and the impact it has made to people living with frailty and dementia receiving their care at Withybush Hospital.
“The frailty improvement project was focused on patients arriving at our Emergency Department and specialises in people with frailty and dementia. The initial success led to further development of the pathway to include the acute frailty unit and Ward 12 at Withybush Hospital, and Sunderland Ward at South Pembrokeshire Hospital.
“We strongly believe in Withybush Hospital and Pembrokeshire that the pathway starts at home so moving forward the service is now focusing on home first principles and managing frailty pre and post hospital.”