Care of the elderly

Welcome to the Care of the Elderly service. We provide comprehensive care for elderly patients – covering their medical, social and emotional needs. We offer services at our hospitals across London, and have close links with community teams so that people who are unable to visit our centres can be seen at home.

We provide a full range of general and specialist services for older people with medical problems. We recognise that our patients’ situations can be very complex so their physical, social and emotional needs are also addressed. The team works in close collaboration with community, mental health and social services to ensure that care is provided in an integrated and seamless fashion.

We provide inpatient services including acute medical care, rehabilitation, memory services and joint services with orthopaedic surgeons and general surgeons and outpatient services, including general medical clinics for older people, memory clinics, falls assessment clinics and multidisciplinary community clinics.

Our staff care passionately about improving the quality of life for our elderly patients so that they can live as independently as possible, with fast access to all of the support that they need.

We are pleased to give our patients equal access to specialist assessments and medical treatments – regardless of their age.

We provide care of the elderly from:

  • Mile End Hospital
  • Newham University Hospital
  • The Royal London Hospital
  • Whipps Cross University Hospital

For patients

We provide a range of high quality general and specialist inpatient and outpatient services for patients across our hospitals.

Your treatment and care

Our services include:

  • NHS continuing care beds (where care is provided over an extended period to meet physical or mental health needs)
  • Nurse-led intermediate care beds (for short term treatment or rehabilitation)
  • Elderly care rehabilitation
  • Elderly care outpatient clinics including falls clinics, memory clinics, orthogeriatric follow-up and general geriatric clinics
  • Care for patients with dementia and other mental health issues through close working with the Mental Health Care for Older People Liaison service (provided by East London Foundation Trust)

We also provide a range of community and home based support services to ensure that our patients are given the on-going support and treatment they need. This includes our virtual ward, which provides rehabilitation in the patient’s own home. The team includes a community matron, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, GP and social worker.

Please note, to get an appointment at a clinic, you will need to be referred by your GP or hospital consultant.

Expert support

Our patients benefit from extensive support services, if they need it, including speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

Further information

Please visit the Age UK website for detailed advice on health and wellbeing, money matters, and being a carer. Call the advice line on: 0800 169 6565

For clinicians

We provide a range of high quality general and specialist inpatient and outpatient services across our hospitals.

Clinics and referrals

Clinics available at Newham University Hospital

  • General medical clinics for older people
  • Diagnostic Memory Clinic
  • Transient ischaemic attack (TIA) clinic
  • Stroke follow-up clinic

Clinics available at East Ham Care Centre

  • Falls clinic
  • Intensive service users clinic
  • Day Hospital clinics

To refer a patient to Newham University Hospital, please either use the eRSsystem (for first outpatient appointments) or send a letter or fax to our Patient Pathway coordinators.

Tel: 020 363 9012
Fax: 020 363 8085
Email: medicinepod@newhamhealth.nhs.uk

Clinics available at Mile End Hospital

  • General Elderly Care Clinics
  • Falls Clinic
  • Orthogeriatric follow-up clinic

To refer a patient to the clinic, please send a letter or fax to the Elderly Care Secretaries at The Royal London Hospital:

Geriatric Office
11th Floor, South Tower
Royal London Hospital
Whitechapel E1 1BB

Tel: 020 3594 2841 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am-3.30pm)
Fax: 020 3594 3197

Please note: Memory clinic referrals are via the Mental Health Team for Older People (part of East London Foundation Trust)

Clinics available at Whipps Cross University Hospital

  • General Elderly Medical Clinic
  • Falls Clinic
  • Falls Group and Balance Class

To refer a patient to Whipps Cross Hospital, please either use the eRS system (for first outpatient appointments) or send a letter or fax via our Elderly Medicine Secretaries:

Department of Medicine for Elderly People
Connaught Day Hospital
Whipps Cross University Hospital
Whipps Cross Road
Leytonstone
London E11 1NR

Tel (Elderly Medicine Secretaries): 020 8539 5522 ext 6051/5266/5263
Tel (Connaught Day Hospital Reception): 020 8539 5522 ext 5457
Fax: 020 8535 6970

Requests for advice and guidance can be submitted via Choose and Book. A clinician will respond within three working days.