The Ron Grimley Undergraduate Centre (RGUC) aims to deliver technology enhanced, innovative, high-quality medical education which is fit for the 21st century. Our superb learning facilities in a modern, purpose built education centre offers medical students both formal and informal learning opportunities.

• Equips the generation of future doctors with knowledge and skills to meet the ever increasing patient expectation.

• Provides training placements that are safe and educationally reliable.
• Nurtures and encourages the development of our medical students into the future medical workforce, who are professionally and emotionally competent and resilient.

• Provides a positive and safe educational environment for learning.
• Provides simulation-based learning in our multidisciplinary ‘state of the art’ facility.

Overview –
The aim of the Frailty Assessment Unit is for patients that are frail and elderly that present to the Emergency Department with a clinical frailty score of 5 or more or presenting with frailty related issues contributing to the admission to be assessed comprehensively by the whole of the multi-disciplinary team to perform a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Between 5-10 per cent of all people attending the Emergency Department and 30 per cent of patients in Acute Medical Units are older people living with frailty. The FAU team comprises of a dedicated geriatric consultant, junior doctors, frailty advanced clinical practitioners, frailty clinical nurse specialists, registered nurses, higher level support workers, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, discharge coordinator, pharmacist, mental health services and social worker where required. A comprehensive geriatric assessment is completed on every patient that is transferred into FAU – this is NHS gold standard for the management of frailty in older people.

FAU also works concurrently with the frailty virtual ward to provide out of hospital care to patients living with frailty related issues that would otherwise require admission without virtual ward intervention. This service is accessed via the same referral process as FAU via internal bleep or telephone. A clinician will assess all referrals and advise on the best possible route of treatment.

Where are we based?

We are situated in the Therapy Department, ground floor East Wing at Russells Hall Hospital.

What do we do?

We are a team of Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and Assistants providing a service to patients in acute inpatient and outpatient settings. We specialise in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients with a wide range of communication, voice and/or swallowing difficulties. Therapy is provided on an individual basis or in groups. Training is also provided to the multi disciplinary team (MDT).

We operate an open referral system to patients with communication difficulties. However, for more complex cases and swallowing and voice difficulties, our referrals come from:

• Medical consultants
• Oral and maxillofacial surgeons
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT) consultants
• Other members of the MDT

Our client base covers a range of diagnostic groups including:

• Stroke – Clinical information for SLTs | RCSLT
• Brain injury – clinical information for SLTs | RCSLT
• Dementia – clinical information | RCSLT
• Head and neck cancer – Clinical information | RCSLT
• Progressive neurological disorders information | RCSLT
• Long COVID overview | RCSLT
• Voice disorders – Clinical information for SLTs | RCSLT
• Trans voice – Clinical information for SLTs | RCSLT
• Upper airway disorders within adult respiratory services | RCSLT

Following assessment, treatment plans will be developed to meet individual needs and may include:

• Therapy to rehabilitate lost function
• Provision of advice and strategies to maximise current function. For patients with swallowing difficulties this may involve modification of consistencies of textures of food and drink
• Education of staff and carers
• Advice regarding communication aids
• Onward referral for instrumental assessments (e.g. videofluoroscopy or F.E.E.S. (Fibreoptic Nasendoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing)

Content Owner

The content owner for this site is:

Charlotte Wooldridge – SLT Administrator

To request changes to the site or for requests for information, please contact the content owner.

Contact Details

Service Manager: Louise Brookes

Tel: (01384) 456111 Ext 2439/4565

Email address: dgft.speechtherapyacute@nhs.net

Twitter: @RussellsHallSLT

Other key contacts

Community speech and language therapy is delivered by Dudley Rehabilitation Service (DRS).

Their contact details are:

Tel: (01384) 456111 323145 option 2

Email address: dgft.drs@nhs.net

Referral Form: To add form

We are a 44 bedded stroke unit, consisting of hyper-acute, acute and stroke rehabilitation. We offer 24/7 stroke care, including thrombolysis treatment and referral to our tertiary centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for thrombectomy services or neuro-surgical intervention.

Consultant ward rounds are conducted daily on the hyper-acute stroke unit.

We provide access to TIA clinics every day.

How to access the service

Referrals are made to the stroke nurse from the ambulance service, emergency department, hospital wards and GP’s.

The stroke nurse will complete the initial assessment and if necessary, arrange further imaging/admission/referral to clinic.

TIA clinics are held at Russell’s Hall Hospital.

Useful Information

Where to find us

• Ward C8 – Second Floor, Russell’s Hall Hospital

Telephone numbers

• (01384) 456111 ext. 3325
• Station 1 ext. 3376
• Station 2 ext. 2136
• Station 3 ext. 3063
• Station 4 ext. 3323

Clinics

Clinics are held daily. Appointment times will be sent out prior to the clinic.

Appointments may be face-to-face or via telephone.

For any queries regarding clinic appointments, please contact the stroke secretaries via switchboard 01384 456111

Visit times

Ward C8

• 11am – 7pm

Key staff

Clinical directorate

• Geriatric, Elderly Medicine and Stroke (GEMS)

Medical team

• Dr Duja – Clinical director
• Dr Mandal – Medical service head
• Dr Banerjee – Consultant
• Dr Kausar – Consultant
• Dr Rafique – Consultant
• Dr Salam – Consultant
• Dr Durairajan – Consultant

Nursing leads

• Jayne Tranter- Matron

• Sarah Causer – Lead nurse

• Donna Salt- Clinical Lead nurse
• Donna Beckley – Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Stella Mathew – Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Rebecca Emery – Stroke Co-ordinator

We aim to deliver high quality, person-centred, safe, acute hospital services for people with learning disabilities and to support this, the Trust has a dedicated Learning Disabilities Team.

The Learning Disability Team help improve the Trust’s provision for patients with learning disabilities and their families, making it easier for patients with learning disabilities to access hospital services.

The team also provide patients with learning disabilities an advocate to offer advice and guidance, not only to the patients themselves but also to the staff involved in providing their care.

Specifically, the team support patients with learning disabilities, their families/carers and hospital staff working with patients with learning disabilities to:

• Plan for admission, treatment and discharge
• Provide specialist advice, guidance on the provision of reasonable adjustments to ensure fair access and outcomes, and the management of complex or difficult situations

Making reasonable adjustments to ensure fair access and outcomes could include:

• Providing accessible information such as easy read information sheets, photographs and Makaton
• Offering first and last or double appointments
• Using a Health Passport to share information about the patient and their health with medical teams
• Ensuring effective care that involves the patient and their family/carer in the decision-making process around treatment and discharge

For a virtual tour of Russells Hall Hospital before your visit, please click here.

How to access the service

This service is available at:

• Corbett Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Guest Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Russells Hall Hospital

Where to find us

• Hospital-wide, Corbett Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Hospital-wide, Guest Hospital Outpatient Centre
• Hospital-wide, Russells Hall Hospital

Useful Information

Telephone: 01384 456111 extension 4205

Email: dgft.learning.disabilityteam@nhs.net

Working hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm

Key staff (if required)

Clinical directorate

• Corporate

Team

• Paula Harris – Lead nurse
• Emily Davies – Sister
• Lynda Sprague – Sister
• Chloe Holt – Clinical Support Worker

Patient information leaflets

Breast screening (Easy Read version) –

Coming for a blood test – Children’s Ward (Easy Read version) –

Coming for a blood test (Easy Read version) –

Keeping safe (Easy Read version) –