Publish date: 16 May 2025
Professor Martin Vernon, a Consultant Geriatrician at Tameside and Glossop IC NHS Foundation Trust, has been awarded the 2025 William Farr Medal from the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries for his work with older patients.
Each year, the medal is presented to a UK-based medical practitioner who has made a significant contribution to the care of older people, as part of their clinical or research work.
Martin has been recognised for his national clinical leadership and innovative work towards improving service design for older people’s healthcare across the country.
Martin’s local impact is evident Tameside Hospital, where among many other things he has established a highly successful multidisciplinary service which screens patient aged over 65 in the Emergency Department for the presence of acute frailty syndromes, such as falls, delirium and immobility.
This enables many patients with complex needs to be safely discharged home on the same day following comprehensive assessment and treatment, where previously they would have been admitted to hospital. Data from this service has shown that, each year, around 7,000 unnecessary days in hospital are avoided for older patients. This not only benefits patients and their families, but also creates annual efficiency savings for the Trust of over £1 million.
In addition to his clinical work, Martin’s academic work has focused on improving health and workforce policy linked to clinical frailty and supporting improvement in end-of-life care. He has also recently led the development of a new Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing at Barts NHS Trust and Queen Mary University in London which launched this year.
Upon receiving the medal, Martin said “I am truly honoured to be awarded the William Farr Medal, on behalf of committed colleagues working in older people’s healthcare across the country, the NHS, with the British Geriatrics Society and at the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing. It has been a great privilege to lead and advise on the development of national policy and guidance now delivering sustainable services which can meet the complex needs of an ageing population.
As I continue to work with value driven clinical and academic colleagues to develop and improve services for older people in hospitals and communities across the country, I am enthused by their collective energy, creativity and dedication focused on improving the lives of older people. Despite the many challenges of delivering modern healthcare in an ageing society I am confident that through collective endeavour we will continue to evolve high quality health services for people wherever they live.”
Read more about the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries’ awards.
