The clinical frailty scale is an inclusive 9-point scale developed to summarise the overall level of fitness or frailty of an adult after evaluation by a healthcare professional (HCP).

The key to scoring the Clinical Frailty Scale is to determine the person’s baseline health state. The scale is scored so that higher scores mean greater risk.

Grading the degree of frailty requires clinical judgement that is based in part on screening criteria, and which then considers what broadly stratifies degrees of fitness and frailty.

The scale focuses on items that can be readily observed without specialist training, including mobility, balance, use of walking aids, and the abilities to eat, dress, shop, cook, and bank. Scoring should match the description, and should not be based solely on the pictures that accompany each level.