Elderly medicine
Contact
- Outpatients appointments
- 020 3313 5000
Visitor Information
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Our elderly medicine department specialises in the care of older patients who typically have multiple medical conditions, are on multiple medications and often require specialist support at home or in care homes.
When older patients are acutely unwell and require hospital treatment we care for them as inpatients in Charing Cross, Hammersmith and St Mary’s hospitals, and within rehabilitation facilities in our hospitals and the community. We work closely with other specialties and disciplines and with GPs. We also see older people in a range of outpatient clinics including our general geriatrics, falls, memory and Parkinson’s clinics.
Conditions and treatments
Common problems seen by the department are poor cognition (dementia and delirium), difficulty walking, falls, continence issues and frailty. Our elderly medicine clinics and services include:
- falls clinic
- memory clinic
- general medicine for the elderly outpatients clinic, including frailty and chronic cognitive problems
- Parkinson’s disease clinic
- orthopaedic liaison service
- GI cancer surgical liaison service, with comprehensive geriatric assessment in pre-admission clinics and immediate post-op review
- inpatient rehabilitation
- rehabilitation referrals service
- medical liaison service for patients under old age psychiatry
- consultant input into local care homes
- older person's rapid access clinic (OPRAC) - acute assessment service for older people admitted to hospital, through the older persons' assessment and liaison team (OPAL)
The department has close links with the Community Independence Service (CIS) in the three local boroughs (Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster), and with other community services.
Clinics
We see older people in a range of outpatient clinics including our general geriatrics, falls, memory and Parkinson’s clinics.
Charing Cross Hospital elderly medicine clinics – general, falls and frailty (including cognitive impairment)
Address
Outpatients department
First floor
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London W6 8RF
Hours
Geriatric clinic: 14.00 to 15.30, Mondays
Falls clinic: 09.00 to 11.30, Fridays
Contact information
Phone: 020 3311 1564
Email: Imperial.emedsec@nhs.net
Hammersmith Hospital elderly medicine clinics – general and memory (including cognitive impairment)
Address
Outpatients department
Ground floor
Hammersmith Hospital
Du Cane Road
London W12 0HS
Hours
General and memory clinics: 09.30 to 13.00, Thursdays
Contact information
Phone: 020 3313 4290
Email: Imperial.emedsec@nhs.net
St Mary’s Hospital falls clinic
Address
Outpatients department clinic B
First floor
St Mary’s Hospital
Praed Street
London W2 1NY
Hours
13.00 to 16.00, Wednesdays
Contact information
Phone: 020 3312 1736
Meet the team
Charing Cross Hospital
Consultant geriatricians
Dr Claire Solomon, acute frailty and rapid access service
Dr Suneil Shukla
Dr Rebecca Hodgkinson
Pandora Wright: acute, community geriatrics, care home liaison (OPAL, Community Independence Service)
Dr Murray Hudson
Hammersmith Hospital
Consultant geriatricians
Dr Sarah Brice, clinical director, integrated care; specialty lead for elderly medicine
Dr Shuli Levy, general cardiology
Dr Paul Edison, dementia and memory
St Mary's Hospital
Consultant geriatricians
Dr Sarah Brice, clinical director, integrated care; specialty lead for elderly medicine
Dr Michael Fertleman, OrthoGeriatrics
Dr David James, Trust dementia lead
Dr Susy Long
Dr Colin Mitchell
Dr George Peck, gastrointestinal surgery liaison
Dr Ganan Sritharan, vascular surgery liaison
Dr Murray Hudson
Patient information
Before your appointment
We usually see patients within six weeks of receiving a referral. You are welcome to bring a relative, close friend or carer with you to your appointment. You are also welcome to ask for a chaperone and we will endeavour to provide one for you. Please ask the receptionist at your clinic for more information.
We provide outpatient clinics at Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Charles and St Mary’s hospitals, so please double check which hospital your appointment is at before you set off.
Please bring all of your current medications with you or a full list of the medications you are taking. You should include all medication you have been prescribed by your GP or hospital doctor as well as any over the counter or herbal medicines you take yourself. Please also remember to check your appointment letter for anything specific you have been asked to take with you. In addition, it would be helpful if you could bring the following:
- Your full address and telephone number(s)
- Your appointment card and appointment letter
- Your GP’s name and address
- Money to pay for any prescriptions, or an exemption card
- A list of questions you may want to ask your consultant
During your appointment
Please book in at the main outpatients reception desk on arrival. If this is your first appointment at the service, your appointment with the doctor may take up to an hour. If you also need to see a therapist (for example in the falls clinic) this will take extra time.
Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so medical students may be present for some appointments. If you do not wish to have them in the room please let the nurse or doctor know and the students will be asked to step outside.
At most of our elderly medicine clinics you will be seen by a doctor and possibly a therapist or other specialist, depending on the clinic you attend. In some clinics you may be asked to undress so our medical team are able to fully examine you. You will be asked if you need any help to undress and that you are comfortable before starting any examination.
Your doctor or nurse may request some blood tests, x-rays or heart monitoring (ECG) to be taken straight after your appointment. We will direct you to where these tests take place and our nurses are on hand to help you get to the relevant departments.
After your appointment
After your appointment your doctor or nurse will tell you if you need another appointment or if you can be discharged from the clinic. If you do require another appointment the doctor or nurse will give you a note to take to the main reception desk to book your next appointment. If more complex tests are requested, you should receive a letter with an appointment date for each of these. The results will go back to your consultant who will discuss them with you at your next appointment, and/or let your GP know.
Your GP will be sent a letter about what happened during your appointment and our plans for your future care. You will also be sent a copy of this letter.
Refer to this service
GP referrals
Please use NHS e-Referrals to refer a patient to our elderly medicine services.
GP advice
Our GP advice line is a direct phone line to a consultant geriatrician, which operates 09.00 to 17.00, Monday through Friday. The consultant is able to offer advice, urgent outpatient clinic appointments and a rapid access clinic review if appropriate.
- Charing Cross Hospital: 020 3311 5162 — for advice and frailty unit admissions
- St Mary's Hospital: 077 8961 8954 — for advice and urgent clinic appointments
There is also an email address to seek advice or ask a question about an inpatient or recently discharged patient: ICHC-tr.adviceelderlymedicine-imperial@nhs.net
Additional information
Elective placements
We offer elective placements for students currently at school in the UK or abroad. Please email f.miskelly@nhs.net or colin.mitchell2@nhs.net for more information.
Further online resources
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