The University of Newcastle and the Northern Deanery recently put in a bid to the DOH for 15 of the new innovative Academic Clinical Fellowship programmes. There were eight successful bids, one of which was Geriatric Medicine. This was the only programme in Geriatric Medicine in the UK to win and it secured the largest number of programmes (seven over five years) in the Northern Deanery.

The academic programme in geriatric medicine will be focussed around the teaching hospitals in the Northern Deanery and most particularly the internationally recognised Institute for Ageing and Health based in Newcastle

The Institute for Ageing and Health was set up in 1994, it is the largest Institute of its kind in the UK and brings together basic, clinical and social scientists in research on ageing, age-related disorders, and the health and welfare of older people. The Institute incorporates the largest University department of Geriatric Medicine in the UK. Academic Trainees will have the opportunity by membership of the IAH to gain exposure to all aspects of the work of the Institute. This covers a wide range of fields from the molecular mechanisms of ageing through to research in social gerontology. There are currently 13 main research groups, some of which have been developed entirely within the IAH, while others represent significant collaborations with established research teams that have major interests in ageing and age-related disorders (for example Musculo-skeletal disorders).

Geriatric Medicine training in Newcastle is currently recognised nationally and internationally for the quality of its clinical and academic training. The introduction of the Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) scheme will further strengthen and develop our training programme. We currently provide a trainee-centred programme where both clinical and research training is modified according to the interests of the trainees, within the framework of competency based assessments, and this policy will be maintained. The incumbents of the clinical fellowship posts will be encouraged to explore areas of research strength both within and aligned to Geriatric Medicine and develop a competitive research project. This will be coupled with high quality clinical training at the teaching hospitals in the Northern Deanery in general geriatric medicine and in relevant sub-specialties.

Academic training
While the IAH exists as an ‘institute-without-walls’ to support interdisciplinary research on ageing across the University, a substantial ‘Campus for Ageing and Health’ in partnership with the NHS has been developed on the Newcastle General Hospital site. There are ambitious plans to extend the Campus further with new facilities for clinical research, teaching and innovative service provision for older people being under development. Within the membership of the IAH there is the provision of a strong academic environment and a suitable clinical environment with a critical mass of clinical staff and clinical training opportunities which we are confident will be further strengthened by the extension of the Campus for Ageing.

Clinical Training
The Newcastle Hospitals Geriatric Medicine department is one of the leading units in the UK with facilities that include the internationally renowned Falls and Syncope Service, dedicated outpatients and day hospital facilities, 3 dedicated care of the elderly in patient wards, ortho-rehabilitation, acute stroke unit and rehabilitation units. There are currently 9 consultants working at the RVI, NGH and FRH sites. We cover a population of 1.2 million and see approximately 70,000 patients per year. All consultants carry out both general and special interest clinics which means that we are able to offer the full complement of sub-specialties which trainees rotate through. Trainees will be exposed to DGH environments through a dedicated block of training at Sunderland Royal Hospital (Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Newcastle at Sunderland) where there are nationally recognised research centres for Heart Failure in the elderly and Stroke Physiology (8.8 further consultants).

The programme
It is envisaged that the academic clinical fellowship programme will involve 3 years in teaching hospitals in the Northern Deanery ensuring a broad clinical experience. Academic clinical fellowship incumbents will have the choice where they commence their rotation, dependant upon available slots. The programme will encourage them early into their training to develop links with research mentors who will be responsible (with the Programme lead) to pump prime a fellowship application. Each incumbent will be encouraged to spend 3 months in a research area of their choice within the first two years of their fellowship, which will ultimately lead to a fellowship application. The plan is to secure funding from the Deanery to back fill these posts with LAT appointments.

Julia Newton
Administrative lead and contact details
Dr Julia L Newton, Tel: 0191 2824128
Institute for Ageing and Health based in Newcastle