The NELFT frailty team in Thurrock has been nominated not for one, not two but... four national awards for its pioneering nurse-pharmacist partnership pilot.

The team set out to address the complex needs of people aged 65 and over living with frailty.

Over a 12-week pilot, 37 patients received joint support from a frailty nurse and a pharmacist. Together, they conducted comprehensive health and medication reviews, developed personalised care plans, and supported safe deprescribing.

The initiative ‘Collaborative Care: Enhancing Frailty Management Through Nurse - Pharmacist Partnerships’, is a finalist in two HSJ Patient Safety Award categories – Patient Safety Pilot Project of the Year and Improving Care for Older People Initiative of the Year. The pilot is also nominated in two Nursing Times Awards categories – Patient Safety Improvement and Care of Older People.

The nominations recognise the project’s impact on patient safety, medication management, and proactive community care for older residents living with frailty. Key outcomes of the three-month pilot included:

• A quarter of all medications were safely deprescribed, including a 15% reduction in high-risk drugs linked to falls, and a 31% reduction in anticholinergic burden.
• The service generated over £6,000 in annual medication savings and cut nearly one tonne of CO₂ emissions from unnecessary prescriptions.
• Early indicators suggest more than £60,000 saved by preventing avoidable hospital admissions.

Dr Hélène Brown, Acting Chief Medical Officer, said:

“Patients and carers have consistently praised the initiative, highlighting enhanced confidence in medication use, reduced anxiety around falls, and the reassurance provided by holistic, personalised assessments. Clinicians report greater efficiency and effectiveness through collaborative reviews, directly contributing to notable financial savings and improved clinical outcomes, such as reduced hospital admissions and better chronic condition management.”

“The success and demonstrable value of this initiative have prompted consideration for its expansion into other clinical areas, reinforcing its scalability and broad applicability across healthcare services.”

Jayshree Sharma, Consultant Pathway Pharmacist Frailty and Older People, said:

“It has been a privilege to clinically lead the pilot project and work with the fantastic Thurrock community frailty team. This nurse-pharmacist collaboration has improved patient safety, enabled shared learning, and brought diverse perspectives to frailty care. Our work has supported safe deprescribing, reduced anticholinergic burden, and helped prevent avoidable hospital admissions, shifting care from crisis-led to proactive, community-based support that empowers patients and improves quality of life.”