The British Geriatrics Society (BGS) President’s Medal is a new award for 2024 to celebrate outstanding contributions to the healthcare of older people. The winner is proposed by the BGS President and approved by the BGS Board.
This year's winner is Professor Kenneth (Ken) Rockwood, Professor of Geriatric Medicine at Dalhousie University and Nova Scotia Health, in recognition of his significant role in enhancing the understanding of frailty in older people, including creating a Frailty Index.
The Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale is used to measure how frail a person is by considering the overall impact of their health problems. The more health issues someone may have, the more likely they are to face further challenges with illness or injury and the less likely they are to return to their former state after episodes of ill-health. This scale can help healthcare professionals understand how vulnerable a person might be and plan their care accordingly.
Through his groundbreaking work, Professor Rockwood has helped bridge the gap between theoretical models of ageing and practical tools to improve clinical care and health outcomes in older people.
Professor Rockwood was awarded the President’s Medal at the
BGS Autumn Meeting in London on Friday 22 November 2024 by BGS President, Professor Adam Gordon.
Professor Adam Gordon, said:
It is, in no small way, due to Ken’s leadership that the BGS’s policies and guidance are now based around frailty. Every emergency department in the country routinely uses the Clinical Frailty Scale, which is colloquially called ‘the Rockwood Scale’, much to Ken’s chagrin.
Ken has defined frailty and frailty care, transforming care of older people in the process and he has been a major contributor to the development of our specialty.
There is no doubt that Ken is a worthy winner of the BGS President’s Medal. The BGS, and the older people with frailty who we serve, are substantially in his debt."
