This book focus on the prehospital assessment, management and treatment of frail and geriatric patients. Geriatrics make up a huge percentage of prehospital ambulance calls in the UK, with up to 86% of all calls made to London Ambulance service in 2020 being recorded as "above the age of 65". Prehospital Clinicians in the UK get a very small amount of training and education in geriatrics and frailty, and this subsequently means a large proportion of these patients arrive at Hospital Accident and Emergency Departments, rather than being treated at home.

This book aims to increase the knowledge base for prehospital clinicians of all clinical grades and qualifications, to better understand the nature of elderly medicine, key points of focus, and differing management options for complex and ongoing conditions. Frailty is a huge topic that is not taught to paramedics, and often goes missed whilst general practitioners cannot see patients regularly in the community. Subsequently, paramedics often find themselves being presented with frail patients who need assessing, but do not have the knowledge to do so. Thus, the aim of this book is to enable paramedics to assess and summarise the undiagnosed frail patients. Frail and geriatric patients often find themselves conveyed to hospital for urgent treatment of chronic conditions, which is both inappropriate and not in the patients best interest. These patient groups would have far greater experiences with clinicians who had better understand of their conditions, the complexities of them, and the appropriate management solutions for them. It would prevent distress to patients, as well as overburdening hospitals and Accident and Emergency Departments. Dementia patients are those most affected by hospital attendance. It has been proven countless times that they often deteriorate psychologically whilst in the Hospital Environment, and this can in some cases be irreversible.

The book will be an invaluable guide for Emergency Care Assistants, Ambulance Technicians/Associate Ambulance Practitioners, Paramedics, as well as residents in geriatrics.

Rob Etall is a Paramedic Specialist Practitioner, as well as a Flight Paramedic working from the UK across the globe. He has been working in prehospital care since 2012, and most recently in the hospital environment with Professor Gosney, as well as frontline in emergency ambulances across the South of England. 

Professor Margot Gosney is a doctor with over 40 years experience in Geriatric Medicine in both the hospital and community setting.  She has written over 100 papers on care of older people as well as previously providing research data to advise optimum care of vulnerable groups.