Older people, multimorbidity and complexity

Older Person`s Clinic (OPC) at the Royal London Hospital

Dear Doctor,

The Older Person`s Clinic (OPC) at the Royal London Hospital offers a comprehensive geriatric assessment to the residents of Tower Hamlets who are over 65 years old and who show early signs of physical and mental decline.

The clinic is a multidisciplinary team made up of consultant geriatricians, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, a nurse co-ordinator, a mental health nurse and administrative support.

Depending on the required needs of our service users, they can be assessed by the whole team or some members of the team.

The aim of this service is to provide a comprehensive and efficient geriatric assessment with the aim to identify issues early on and create a detailed support plan to ensure any health issues can be remedied by the team.

The clinic offers advice, guidance, investigations, treatment, and onward referrals if needed.

The purpose of the clinic is to improve outcomes for older adults by reducing avoidable hospitalization, providing comprehensive old age assessment, plan individually tailored interventions and support plans for patients to be cared for in their own home/communities.

Patients are referred to the clinic by their general practitioners via e-referral service.

Referral criteria for patients

- Physical frailty

- Deteriorating complex co morbidities

- Recurrent emergency attendances

- Polypharmacy

- Difficulty with managing ADL`s

- Mobility problems

- Multiple falls

- Cognitive and mood issues

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we have tailored our services. The clinic offers face to face appointments once a week at the Royal London Hospital. In addition to this we offer telephone or virtual appointments three times a week and community visits as needed.

How to make a referral? via E-referral service.

Address for any queries: bhnt.opc@nhs.net

We also offer an Advice and Guidance Service via the E-referral service.

If there are urgent queries that you need to discuss with a Consultant - we have the "Geriatrician of the Day" available on the phone via switchboard at the Royal London Hospital. This is available Mon-Fri 09:00-1700 and Sat and Sun 0900-1500