Research project – Quantifying Frailty in St Oswald's Hospice Lymphoedema Service
Lymphoedema is a chronic, progressive condition that often co-exists with multiple long-term conditions, rising frailty, and increasing palliative care need.
Within hospice lymphoedema services, these coexisting conditions are not routinely measured, meaning opportunities for proactive support may be missed and the overall level of need in this patient group remains poorly understood.
This project will address that gap by prospectively measuring frailty levels in all patients aged 50 years and over, from Newcastle postcodes, attending the St Oswald’s Hospice lymphoedema service over a six-month period.
Felicity Dewhurst, Consultant In Palliative Medicine, St Oswald’s Hospice
October 2025
Aims:
To evaluate frailty and palliative care needs in patients aged 50 years and over, from Newcastle postcodes, attending St Oswald’s Hospice lymphoedema service and explore how these factors relate to hospital admissions. The study also aims to enhance the hospice’s research capabilities to support future studies.
Frailty will be assessed using the Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale, and palliative care need using the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool. Assessments will be recorded directly into the hospice electronic patient record, embedding structured digital data capture and supporting the transition from analogue to digital records.
Study team:
Dr Felicity Dewhurst, Amelia Davies, Kath Clark