Frailty Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC)

The Frailty SDEC at Milton Keynes University Hospital is a forward-thinking initiative aimed at improving outcomes for frail older patients. Officially opened in October 2024 within the Maple Centre. The unit is designed to offer timely, high-quality care while avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.  By providing rapid access to diagnostics and comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment, Frailty SDEC ensures patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

This front-door service works collaboratively across both the Emergency Department (ED) and the Maple Unit, streamlining patient flow and ensuring those with frailty are identified early and managed proactively. Operating Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 17:30pm, with referrals accepted up to 4pm, the unit supports referrals from ED, SCAS, GPs, Urgent Care Centres, Virtual Ward and Consultant Connect (Baton Phone 87800 or Frailty SHO 87790) or Consultant Connect if external.  Our active screening allows us to be proactive and prioritise getting the right patient to the right team as quickly as possible.

Frailty SDEC aims to add value to every patient encounter—not just addressing the acute presentation, but also identifying chronic issues, reviewing medications, and arranging timely community support.

Our goal is to ensure that every patient leaves the Frailty SDEC in a better condition than when they arrived. We do this by managing their acute presentation alongside any ongoing chronic conditions, identifying frailty early, optimising medications through appropriate prescribing and deprescribing, and connecting patients with the right community support. As we continue to develop the service, we’re focused on striking the right balance between delivering comprehensive multidisciplinary assessments and maintaining good patient flow through the unit—ensuring that every interaction adds real value to the patient’s journey.

The team is committed to ensuring:

• Good patient flow by prioritising those with a high likelihood of same-day discharge
• Avoidance of unnecessary admissions
• Proactive patient reviews (proactive screening patients in ED)
• Seamless coordination with community services and onward referrals (Admission Avoidance -Home 1st (2h therapy, 72h therapy, Reablement) , Falls Team, Frailty Hub, OT in Community)

By working collaboratively and with purpose, Frailty SDEC delivers care that is person-centred, efficient, and future-focused, ensuring that older people leave our unit in better condition than when they arrived—physically, medically, and emotionally.