New research by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the University of Nottingham has found that 71 per cent of UK hospitals do not regularly screen surgical patients over 60 for frailty.

These findings, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, are the most comprehensive study of its kind in the UK, and analysed data from 7,134 patients across 263 NHS trusts.

Frailty, affecting almost one in five surgical patients over 60, carries a three times higher risk of surgical complications, and a four time higher risk of post-operative delirium. Frail patients are additionally three times more likely to die within a year of surgery, and hospital stays are regularly extended by up to six days for very frail patients.

Given the frequency of frailty in patients and the severity of its consequences, researches are urging that all patients 60 and above are assessed for frailty before surgery using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). The CFS helps identify patients who may benefit from personalised treatment plans.

President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Dr Claire Shannon, said: “This research provides evidence that patients living with frailty are more likely to experience complications from surgery such as longer hospital stays and delirium. There is huge potential to improve outcomes by assessing all those over 60 for frailty as standard practice so that their care can be managed appropriately, with involvement from a geriatrician.

“With older people accounting for an increasing proportion of surgical patients, implementing effective screening for frailty is becoming ever more necessary. Universal adoption of frailty assessments will not only help patients recover better from surgery but also hep improve efficiency by avoiding extended lengths of stay in hospital.”