About our service

Our care of the elderly service looks after older patients, usually aged 65 and over. Clinical areas covered include Amber ward (frailty unit), A&E with the GEMS Team (Geriatric Emergency Medicine Service), the Pymmes Building, and T4 (short-stay) ward.

The Pymmes building includes four specialist Care of the Elderly wards:

  • Topaz Ward (formally Charles Coward ward)
  • Emerald ward (formally Pymmes 0 ward)
  • Pearl ward (formally Michael Bates ward)
  • Mary Seacole ward (Nurse Led, fit for discharge ward)

Our care of the elderly service also provides a Medical Day Hospital service for ambulatory older patients, currently located in the Anticoagulation building on the North Mid site.

Conditions we treat

Our care of the elderly service provides a range of specialist elderly services across inpatient and outpatient settings, including:

  • Comprehensive geriatric assessment with multidisciplinary approach for inpatients seen in our specialist Care of the Elderly wards and Amber (frailty unit)
  • Medical Day Hospital – an intermediate care service for older patients with complex needs, bridging the gap between primary care (i.e. GP) and secondary (i.e. admission; conventional outpatient).
  • Geriatric Emergency Medicine Service (GEMS) – an acute frailty service within the Emergency Department (ED) ensuring the systematic early identification of patients with frailty and providing early comprehensive geriatric assessment
  • Hot Clinics – Care of the Elderly hot clinics provide rapid access from GP referrals to a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), MDT, and diagnostics for patients with frailty, with a focus on admission avoidance.
  • Falls Clinic
  • In-reach to a number of nursing/residential homes in Enfield as part of the CHAT team.
  • The Care of the Elderly hot-phone, held by a Consultant Geriatrician 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, and 8am - 4pm weekends and Bank Holidays.
  • Surgical Liaison service for >65 year old surgical patients with frailty
  • Orthogeriatrics – inpatient care for those sustaining a fractured neck of femur (broken hip).
  • Teleconferences – over the phone multidisciplinary meeting to discuss patients currently being managed in the community (Haringey residents only)

How to prepare for your visit

All patients attending care of the elderly services are encouraged to bring with them any prior medical history and a referral letter.

Refer a patient

Referrals from GPs and external partners can be made via:

  • NHS e-Referral Service (ERS) Choose & Book, or;
  • Emailing the care of the elderly team, or;
  • For Hot Clinics – the consultant geriatrician held care of the elderly hot phone: 07890 039 025 (please note that this number is for healhcare professionals only).

Meet our team

Consultants

  • Dr Richard Robson, consultant geriatrician and clinical lead care of the elderly, trust dementia lead
  • Dr Maurice Cohen, consultant geriatrician and divisional director medicine and urgent care
  • Dr Charlotte Annesley, consultant geriatrician, trust learning disability lead
  • Dr Jayne Lim, consultant geriatrician
  • Dr Jo Arumugam, consultant geriatrician
  • Dr Mark Horowitz, consultant geriatrician
  • Dr Michael Aziz, consultant geriatrician
  • Dr Nick Rollitt, consultant geriatrician and orthogeriatrician
  • Dr Nina Ballah, consultant geriatrician
  • Dr Polia Naydenova, consultant geriatrician
  • Dr Rachel Nunn, consultant geriatrician and perioperative medicine
  • Dr Sumathi Ragavan, consultant geriatrician and orthogeriatrician

Nursing

  • Anna May Charles, head of nursing, ED, hot floor and care of the elderly
  • Mary Butler, matron for care of the elderly

Administration

  • James Wood, service manager, acute medicine and care of the elderly
  • Jack Hilton, deputy service manager, acute medicine and care of the elderly
  • Tina Osborn, medical secretary for care of the elderly and stroke
  • Ciydem Atalar, medical secretary, medicine and urgent care
  • Melissa Fisher, medical secretary, medicine and urgent care

Where to find us

The care of the elderly service locations can all be found on the site of the North Mid. These include:

  • Amber Ward, Main Hospital building
  • T4 (Short Stay), Level 4, Tower Block
  • Topaz Ward (formally Charles Coward ward), Pymmes building, Level 0
  • Emerald Ward (formally Pymmes 0 ward), Pymmes building, Level 0
  • Pearl Ward (formally Michael Bates ward), Pymmes building, Level -1
  • Mary Seacole Ward, Pymmes building, Level -1
  • Medical Day Hospital, Anticoag building
  • Hot clinic, Amber Ward, Main Hospital building