Consultant Geriatrician. Chair NW Clinical Senate. Opinions my own
North West, England
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‼️Right you lucky lot
We have a leadership contest in the country 😉
No.. not that one! 🙄🤦♂️
The 2026 BGS President Elect Campaign of course! 😅
Wishing my friend, colleague & Queen of the South Ruth Law the best of luck!
King of the North🤣
👇👇
bgs.org.uk/bgs-president-ele…
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Martin Vernon retweeted
1. This statement contains several inaccurate or confused claims.
First, Edwards says the bill is only for those “at the very end of their lives.”
But the bill’s “6-month prognosis” criterion is very broad: 1 in 5 of those eligible will actually have at least 3 years to live.
🚨 BREAKING: The Assisted Dying Bill will be reintroduced to Parliament next week by Labour MP Lauren Edwards
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⭐ META-ANALYSIS: Hospital delirium --> devastating long-term outcomes
253 studies, 137,000+ pts:
• 5.4x dementia risk
• 2.8x institutionalisation
• 2.5x mortality
• 1.7x readmission
⚠️ Delirium = a serious acute problem AND a risk warning.
➡️ All pts deserve robust delirium assessment
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BREAKING: Sky News understands the government will not be giving the landmark assisted dying bill legislation more time in the House of Lords, which means it almost certainly will fall.
@SamCoatesSky explains ⬇️
trib.al/SBmlz6r
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Have you visited our Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) Hub?
A clear, concise, evidence-based set of resources, freely available to all who need them on our website. buff.ly/yZ0Cxzg
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Martin Vernon retweeted
🧠🦴 1 in 5 #hipfracture patients have #delirium on arrival.
x2 likely to die within a year & 73% less likely to get home.
Scottish data - N=18,000 pts. Shows: 4AT works at national scale - NB 91% completion. Takes 2 minutes.
Why isn't this standard everywhere?
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This is considerably worse than the pandemic and on the front line services are getting decimated. Not good for patients and not good for staff 👇 bbc.com/news/articles/c8r307…
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In 2019 @NHSEngland committed to invest in better care for older people with frailty by supporting primary care & community services
But it’s been eviscerated by successive ‘leadership’.
This links directly to the current urgent care crisis👇
nao.org.uk/wp-content/upload…
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There is plenty of evidence that comprehensive assessment of older people followed by accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment improves outcomes. Lowering antibiotic thresholds to treat things they may not have carries its own risks. Geriatricians know this 🙄🤷♂️
Professor Sir Chris Whitty urged clinicians to adopt a lower threshold for antibiotic prescribing in this population compared with younger adults #NHS #doctors #antibiotics doctors.net.uk/news/doctors-…
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Martin Vernon retweeted
Professor Sir Chris Whitty urged clinicians to adopt a lower threshold for antibiotic prescribing in this population compared with younger adults #NHS #doctors #antibiotics doctors.net.uk/news/doctors-…
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A hospital that chooses to close its same day emergency care beds & fill them instead with unselected patients is a hospital that doesn’t understand emergency care and is in denial that the same problem won’t be there tomorrow.. leading to more extremis- just sayin.. 😉🤷♂️
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While parliament debates legalisation of assisted dying we continue to face ever decreasing care alternatives at end of life
Despite legal requirement ICBs are failing to commission equitable palliative & end-of-life care to meet their population needs👇
nao.org.uk/reports/the-finan…
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Excellent call to arms by @mancunianmedic - there is specialism in generalism 😏 bmj.com/content/391/bmj.r246…
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Martin Vernon retweeted
"Pragmatic prescribing to reduce harm for older people with moderate to severe frailty" aims to support prescribing decisions for older people with moderate to severe frailty. View our guidance document here: buff.ly/WofRdSe
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Martin Vernon retweeted
Have you read our "Pragmatic prescribing to reduce harm for older people with moderate to severe frailty" document? It aims to support prescribing decisions for older people with moderate to severe frailty.
buff.ly/WofRdSe
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Martin Vernon retweeted
The third and final day of our Autumn Meeting is underway. In stream 2 the day has begun with an Ethics and Law session on assisted dying. #BGSconf
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Martin Vernon retweeted
We welcone @RCPhysicians new position statement on palliative and end of life care. We support the call for a public campaign, improved education, and a national strategy.
Most people dying each year are older people, it is vital their needs are met.
buff.ly/OTuPyRk
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Martin Vernon retweeted
We welcome the findings of the @HQIP 2024 National Audit of Care at the End of Life. We are pleased to see the positive statistics, including around patient experience and the prevalence of personalised care plans.
1/2 Have you read the 2024 National Audit of Care at the End of Life (#NACEL) report?
Based on care delivered in 2024, it found that 83% of deaths were expected by clinical staff during final admission and, of these, 84% had a personal care plan.
Link: bit.ly/45r4ibO
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Words matter
BGS (& others) rightly choose to use hospital at home over ‘virtual ward’ with good reason
Use of the word ‘virtual’ can imply patients will only receive hands off remote care when we know people with real needs often require care to be delivered fact to face 👇
We have produced a report on Hospital at Home services for older people. This report, endorsed by the @UKHaHSoc, explains how Hospital at Home services are provided and how they might develop in the future as a key part of community-based healthcare. buff.ly/3ZgRhlo
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