Older People’s Medicine
Our Older People’s Medicine (OPM) first opened its doors on 18 December 2017.
Our department is one of the largest in the Trust in terms of patient numbers with around 180 inpatients under the OPM teams at any time. Older People’s Medicine (OPM) offers a multi-disciplinary team approach that strives to ensure that patients are cared for holistically. OPM also have input to the care of patients in community hospitals and within other departments.
We offer a range of services to outpatients aged 70 and over and to inpatients aged 80 and over (#NOF 60 and over).
Services we provide include:
- Older People’s Assessment Service (OPAS) clinic
- Movement Disorder Clinic
- #NOF – Orthogeriatricians
- OPED
- OPAC
Older People’s Assessment Service (OPAS) Clinic
Older Peoples Assessment Service is based around a multidisciplinary team approach that strives to ensure that patients are cared for holistically (relating to the medical consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a disease).
This service provides a rapid assessment of needs including all appropriate elements of a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment. Upon receipt of referral, patients can usually be seen within 48 hours.
Interpretation and translation services can be arranged by staff, for users of this service.
This service excludes suspected TIA/Stroke patients and Parkinson’s patients.
This clinic provides assessment for patients 75 and above either suspected of Parkinson’s disease or already diagnosed and experiencing difficulty with symptom management. It is a multi-disciplinary clinic offering a holistic approach from a team that includes consultants, a specialist nurse, occupational therapist and physiotherapist.
#NOF – Orthogeriatricians
Patients 60 years and over who are admitted to NNUH with a hip fracture should be admitted to our Ortho-Medical Unit, currently based on Earsham ward. Here the Orthogeriatric team provide holistic care of the patients, including an assessment of why they have fallen and fractured their hip and their bone health, in line with the requirements of the Best Practice Tariff for hip fracture. We have three consultants: Drs Dawson, Gunawardena and Lee, one of whom will usually take over the care of the patient after the Orthopaedic team have completed their surgery. Multi-disciplinary working between our doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists is key to helping our patients regain their mobility after their fracture.
OPED – Older People’s Emergency Department
The Older People’s Emergency Department (OPED) was first established in 2017, delivering a comprehensive geriatric assessment to patients 80+ and identified as frail within the ED footprint.
OPED is a multi-disciplinary team with specialist doctors and nurses working in Older People’s Medicine, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Pharmacists and the Early Intervention Team from Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C).
For details about how to find us, how to get here and information about accessibility (including images), please click on the icon below:
OPAC
To reduce cubicle times in ED for those patients already assessed with the aim of getting them home, we use OPAC. The OPAC area is on the short stay ward, Loddon. This allows patients to sit in a more comfortable area to continue their treatment and have transport booked, be given a meal and go home.
OPAC offers fast track investigations, ongoing therapy, increasing care, on ward pharmacy and a conducive environment.
Patients who have a decision to admit from ED are highlighted as either short stay, which is Loddon, or if more complex and likely to need an increased length of stay, they are transferred to the admissions ward/ complex care. This helps to maintain flow as the patient is in the right place to meet their needs.
OPM strives to make improvements to services. This entails taking an active role in schemes such as the National Service Frameworks, Essence of Care, implementation of Royal College of Physician guidelines, the UEA School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, and the Clinical Governance programme.
Wards and Departments
How to find us
For details about how to find us, how to get here and information about accessibility (including images), please click on the icon below:
Norfolk & Norwich University NHS Hospital
Older Peoples Medicine
Level 2, Centre Block
Colney Lane
Norwich
Norfolk
NR4 7UY
T: 01603 288397 | T: 01603 288117
nnu.tr.opmsecretaries@nnuh.nhs.uk