Prince Philip Hospital’s Pioneering Frailty Team

A dedicated team of frailty support workers – believed to be the first of their kind in Wales – are helping to free up beds at Prince Philip Hospital. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The hospital is leading the way in supporting patients of any age who are too frail to move, by appointing a team of workers to manage and care for them. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Frailty Support Worker initiative is a community funded initiative using the Welsh Government’s Intermediate Care Fund, which is jointly administered by the Carmarthenshire Integrated Services Board. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It aims to improve care co-ordination between social services and health, in order to enhance care provision for frail individuals and strengthen the resilience of the unscheduled care system. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Carmarthenshire Council’s head of integrated services, Rhian Dawson, who jointly chairs the Integrated Services Board, said: “The ISB recently approved this innovative and exciting scheme at Prince Philip Hospital. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“It is encouraging to see that patients are being discharged faster and the need for formal social care provision is decreasing because people are remaining as independent as possible while in hospital.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​