2026 Development of a novel 2-week wait oncogeriatric service: A GI Frailty Clinic

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Over the last 12 months, a novel oncogeriatric clinic was successfully established to assess frail 2-week wait (2WW) patients referred with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. The clinic was initially funded by the West Yorkshire Cancer Alliance, enabling a weekly clinic, run by a geriatrician, clinical specialist nurse and an advance clinical practitioner. Methods A total of 350 patients were assessed (those with a clinical frailty score of ≥ 6 were eligible for referral); due to demand exceeding capacity, remaining patients were referred on through the default surgical or GI pathways. Patients were triaged by endoscopy nurses from ‘straight to test’ referrals after training provided to assess frailty scores using routinely available data. Results Only a third of patients referred remained on the 2WW pathway compared to surgical patients; this was due to patients being too frail or an alternative diagnosis being made through comprehensive geriatric assessment, and a shared decision-making process. The patient level information and costing system (PLICS) demonstrated that the oncogeriatric clinic was cost effective, costing approximately £190 less per patient than the default pathways of care. Feedback from patients demonstrated extremely high satisfaction rates with the service provided. One of the most significant interventions was medicines management, which has led to a pharmacist supporting the clinic through further innovation funding. Conclusion Lessons learned included developing a better understanding of cancer diagnosis and frailty, providing a ‘one stop centre’ for cancer care, and managing complex comorbid conditions in frail older people suspected of having cancer. As a result of this QI service development project, a Frailty Cancer Strategy for the Trust is currently being developed and will be presented to the executive team with the aim of developing a comprehensive oncogeriatric service for frail patients in Leeds, providing the right care, the right treatment, first time.