Increasing numbers of older patients require Emergency admission under General Surgery (EGS). This is a group of heterogeneous and often complex individuals with varying degrees of multimorbidity, polypharmacy, functional, mobility and cognitive impairment. Our article describes the benefits of comprehensive assessment coupled with patient-centred multiprofessional interventions and timely discharge planning. We discuss diverse service models and describe our experience in the planning, development and consolidation of a perioperative service for older EGS patients.
Keywords: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA); Emergency general surgery (EGS); Frailty; Multidisciplinary; Older; Perioperative Care of Older Persons (POPS).