Lay summary
As the world population ages, the age of people requiring surgery is increasing. This presents a number of challenges in terms of increased rates of age-related physiological deterioration, multimorbidity and frailty, in that they are associated with poorer postoperative outcomes and increased financial cost. To address such challenges, novel models of perioperative care have been developed including the Perioperative medicine for Older People undergoing Surgery (POPS) service from the UK. The benefits of POPS has been demonstrated across multiple specialties, with reductions in length-of-stay as well as lower rates of morbidity and mortality for older people. However, implementing such an approach in Aotearoa-NZ relies on support from geriatricians, surgeons and rehabilitation services. This research seeks to both establish the potential numbers of older people requiring the service in Waikato, explore the perspectives of clinicians around the value of POPS and provide preparatory information to inform a 2024 HRC project proposal.