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It is a fact - at least in France - that patients with a myocardial infarction (MI) are referred to cardiologists as a priority. Of course, this makes sense when cardiovascular expertise is the priority, e.g. in the case of cardiogenic shock or in the case of ST segment elevation.

An award-winning paper published in Age and Ageing provides vital evidence for use by decision makers in the design, planning and provision of healthcare services for older people. Here two of the authors of the paper share their summary of the findings.

As we pass the winter solstice and the days start to lengthen, it feels hard to believe we will ever leave ‘winter’ in the NHS. Back-to-back ‘crises’ for health and social care, a perfect storm of a continuing pandemic/pandemic recovery, a chronically under-funded and under-staffed health service and social care sector and a cost of living crisis mean that our patients are going to struggle even more than usual this winter.

Winter infections have always been a problem for care homes and the residents that live in them. Those of us working in care of older people usually enter the festive season knowing that we’ll spend much of our time caring for care home residents affected by flu, pneumonia, and norovirus. Individual residents often fare poorly, and their difficulties are compounded when homes have to close due to outbreaks.

Multiple hospital organisational factors are associated with adverse patient outcomes post hip fracture in England and Wales: the REDUCE record-linkage cohort study.

We should never lose sight that most older people live well in older age. However, we are also very familiar with the challenge of a population that is ageing with all the risks associated with co-morbidities and complex health and social care issues.

In case you missed it, June of this year saw the publication of ‘My Health, My Care, My Home – healthcare framework for adults living in care homes’. The framework was developed by Scottish Government working with care providers and representative bodies, health and social care practitioners, Health and Social Care Partnerships, policymakers and families and friends.

Reflecting on my education over the last few years, I think I may have learned most from Twitter. There is a seriously erudite group of geriatricians dropping pearls of wisdom there, of which Dr Henry Woodford is just one.

I was pleased to represent BGS on NHS England’s Clinical and Professional Reference Group for Anticipatory Care. There was some debate about the term Anticipatory Care but a consensus that people living with frailty or multiple complex conditions need proactive care and support to stay independent and healthy for as long as possible at home or the place they call home.