Increasing numbers of older people are undergoing surgery and adverse clinician-reported, patient-reported and process-related outcomes are common within this patient group. A new approach to the Peri-operative care of Older People undergoing Surgery (POPS) has been developed by leading clinicians in the field over the last 17 years, with extremely good results. The POPS service has improved outcomes by integrating geriatricians into the care pathway of older surgical patients and demonstrates that preoperative CGA and optimisation reduces postoperative complications and length of stay in older people undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery.
There is now a bold ambition to share this work and drive the adoption and spread of this service model across the NHS. The POPS Network will work with NHS organisations to help them understand and adopt the POPS model locally as part of their work on redesigning and restoring elective care, and ensuring services are designed to meet the needs of older people. We will support teams during a six-month collaborative programme of learning and development events.
Further information on the programme is available on the POPS Network website www.popsolderpeople.org or get in touch at networksinfo@nhselect.org.uk
Click here to view the webinar “Frailty – The POPS approach”. In this webinar, our clinical lead Dr Jugdeep Dhesi (Geriatrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS FT), discusses frailty in surgery and the POPS model.