The Department of Health and Social Care has released Manx Care’s Front Door Frailty Standard Operating Procedure after a request from Julie Edge MHK.
Ms Edge asked the Minister for Health and Social Care to publish the frailty framework referenced during a sitting on March 17, 2026.
Minister Claire Christian has now confirmed the document is public, describing it as the current operational guide for how frail adults are assessed and supported when they arrive at Noble’s Hospital.
Frailty Framework
The SOP outlines a structured, daily process for identifying frail patients early in the emergency and acute care pathway, aiming to avoid unnecessary admissions and speed up access to appropriate care.
It sets out responsibilities across emergency clinicians, geriatricians, therapists, pharmacists, intermediate care teams and community frailty services.
Key features include:
- Early identification in the Emergency Department, using frailty scoring and “frailty syndromes” such as falls, delirium or immobility.
- A morning multidisciplinary huddle to prioritise patients who may be discharged home, supported in the community, or moved directly to the most suitable ward.
- A focus on admission avoidance, with rapid access to community frailty teams and short‑term rehabilitation support.
- Clear handover and communication processes between hospital and community teams to ensure continuity of care.
Manx Care describes the SOP as a “live document” that will continue to be refined as the service develops, with the next review scheduled for August 2026.
The full written answer can be found here.
