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Found 75 results
  1. Content Article
    Virtual wards, also known as hospital at home, are increasingly being used across the NHS to support people who would otherwise need hospital care to receive treatment and monitoring at home. A new NIHR-funded study led by University of Manchester researchers explored how safe care is delivered in virtual wards, highlighting the often unseen work carried out by patients and carers as they undertake key elements of risk-work previously held by clinicians. The findings show that virtual wards can provide a safe alternative to hospital care for some patients, allowing people to recover at home while still receiving clinical oversight. However, patients and carers often take on more practical and emotional responsibility than may be recognised as they assume duties that would normally be carried out by clinicians in hospital settings. This includes monitoring symptoms, managing equipment and responding to signs of deterioration, especially overnight or outside normal working hours. The researchers suggest that hospital at home services that combine technology with in‑person home visits could help make care safer, more flexible, and accessible for a wider range of patients. Recognising and supporting the work undertaken by patients and carers is essential to ensure virtual wards are safely delivered. As virtual wards expand as a key component of NHS policy to shift acute care from hospital to community settings, practice must ensure there is space for relational and training support for clinicians, patients, and carers so that remote acute care can be safely implemented across health systems.
  2. News Article
    Virtual ward occupancy hit a record high in January but expansion has stalled over the past 12 months, according to analysis of official figures. In January 2026, 11,474 patients occupied virtual ward “beds”, representing 90% occupancy of the 12,725 capacity. This is a 13% increase in patients compared to the same period in 2025, when there were 10,162 patients at 80% occupancy. February 2026 figures, published last week, show occupancy then fell from the peak in January 2026 to 84%. Despite this rise in use, capacity has stalled nationally. Between January 2025 and January 2026, virtual ward capacity grew by just 98 “beds” (0.8%) compared with an increase of 992 (8%) the previous year. The plateau reflects a shift in national priorities and the end of ring-fenced funding in March 2024. NHS England had provided £450m of dedicated funding over two years to support virtual ward expansion. One leader close to the programme told HSJ that the focus from the centre on A&E performance targets had shifted priority among commissioners. They added that the slower-than-expected rollout of the neighbourhood health service had also created uncertainty about where virtual wards – which involve the use of technology to care for patients in their own home when they would otherwise be in hospital – fit in future planning. Meanwhile, virtual ward technology suppliers told HSJ that some systems have had budgets reduced or paused, and others have been told to demonstrate clearer cash-releasing impact of virtual wards before further expansion. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 16 March 2026
  3. News Article
    The cost of discharging patients to virtual wards becomes “equitable” with inpatient care over time, analysis suggests – despite initial findings that it was much more expensive. A research project conducted at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals in 2022 published its results last year, which found the cost of avoiding a bed day in hospital by discharging a patient to a virtual ward was £935 per day, compared to an average cost of £536 per day for keeping a patient in a general inpatient hospital bed. But, the study’s lead author has now told HSJ that, following a second year of monitoring, the cost of step-down virtual ward care had decreased to be roughly the same as traditional inpatient care. The initial study sparked significant debate, and was met with criticism from NHS England, which said the results were “misleading”, particularly due to its limited scope and time frame. Having evaluated WWL’s virtual ward provision again in 2023, Martin Farrier, director of digital medicine at WWL and lead author of the original paper, said the cost of step-down virtual ward care was “still significant” but now “equitable” with keeping a patient in a hospital bed. Dr Farrier said the majority of the cost per patient was from staffing, and this had fallen significantly in year two. He said: “In the first year, [staff] said they were flat out, but they weren’t flat out, they were just getting used to their system. They sped up with time, [so] the capacity of the system becomes much larger… [There’s] a mixture of things going on. But what you then get… is the costs come down and they become equitable with the cost of hospital care.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 10 March 2025
  4. News Article
    Recently-opened cancer testing centres and virtual wards will be among the services cut back as the NHS seeks to eliminate a £6.6bn forecast deficit, senior leaders have told HSJ. Plans also include restricting treatments, extending waiting times, de-funding the third sector, and significant job cuts for clinicians as well as managers. HSJ asked NHS trust and commissioner CEOs and finance directors across the country what actions would be required in their organisation, after NHSE last week demanded they “get a grip” of deficits and “accelerate” decisions. Cost-cutting measures being proposed or considered locally include: Closing community diagnostic centres (CDCs), and cancelling plans for more CDCs. Closing or reducing the size of virtual wards, whose expansion since Covid-19 has been repeatedly declared as one of the most significant reforms to shift care out of hospital. Cuts to schemes to carry out more elective work, including reducing out-of-hours “waiting list initiative” sessions and cancelling planned “elective hubs”. Cutting staff numbers, most often corporate and non-clinical, but in some areas extending to reductions to clinical staff. Extending waiting times for planned operations and treatment, especially for procedures which currently have short waits, such as ophthalmology, which are often provided by the private sector. One CEO said it required “rationing of care” in these areas. There will be further delays and limiting of patients’ “right to choose” to use private services which diagnose autism and ADHD. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 10 March 2025
  5. News Article
    A mum-of-four has praised a hospital-at-home service – hailing it as a “life changing miracle” for her family. Maria Hicklin, whose two young sons Roman, aged seven, and Ricco, aged two, have both battled respiratory conditions, knows firsthand the benefits of the Paediatric Virtual Ward delivered at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust. The service has treated over 2,000 children with 143 of these being via direct access to the virtual ward, effectively saving 3,800 bed days and making a cost saving of over £1.7 million. Maria, from Oldbury, explained how it has helped her two boys: “The virtual ward service has transformed our experience and saved us money. We’ve had minimal hospital admissions and the medical team provides home visits, monitoring equipment, and offers continuous support. “They’ve even helped build my confidence in administering medication. The team comes out within an hour if we need help, and they know the boys by name. Roman and Ricco are now comfortable and less anxious about their medical conditions. “It’s a stark change from previous winters. Every cold and flu season, we were constantly rushing to A&E. It was destroying our family. “Roman is also autistic, and this made hospital visits even more traumatic. He wouldn’t eat hospital food, and the constant needles and medical procedures were overwhelming for him.” NHS England introduced virtual wards to allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most. Dr Maria Atkinson, Consultant Paediatrician, said: “Our virtual ward allows us to provide acute medical care directly in patients’ homes, reducing the stress of hospital admissions and keeping families together during challenging medical periods. “Roman has had a particularly challenging medical journey, having first contracted COVID-19 and then developed severe asthma and pneumonia, leading to repeated hospital visits. His younger brother Ricco suffers from viral-induced wheeziness, which added to the family’s medical challenges. “This isn’t just about saving money. We’re providing personalised, compassionate care that keeps children in their home environment through admission avoidance, and by facilitating a reduced length of hospital stay this can support the entire family.” Read full story Source: NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham, 6 February 2025
  6. Event
    Hospital at home and virtual wards use technology to monitor someone’s condition and provide remote as well as face-to-face care. These services aim to help avoid hospital admissions and facilitate early discharge. In this webinar, researchers and a clinician will present evidence from 3 reviews on hospital at home and virtual wards. Presentations will be followed by a Q&A session. The webinar will help participants understand: what are the key elements of hospital at home and virtual wards what is their impact on outcomes? what is their impact on service costs? what factors contribute to their success? Register
  7. Event
    until
    This webinar from GovConnect will look at: Developing a successful Virtual Ward CUH Virtual Ward @ home (Cambridge University Hospitals) Challenges CUH faced and why they implemented Virtual Wards The journey so far and working with stakeholders What equipment is needed? Platform/technology selection Daily management: referral, on-boarding, care plan Performance and pathways Patient experience Challenges and obstacles Next steps Agenda Welcome and introduction with moderator Dr Iain Goodhart Developing a Virtual Ward @ home with Gemma Czech, Clinical Nurse Lead for Virtual Wards at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Outcomes, performance and next steps for CUH Virtual Ward @ home with Andy Bailey, Operations Manager Virtual Wards, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will cover how Interactive panel discussion Register for the webinar
  8. Event
    until
    Join Fallon Hughes, DNP, RN, senior director of Nursing Practice, Innovation, Research and EBP for WellSpan Health, and Alisha Wike, RN, bedside nurse at WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital, in an educational webinar on virtual nursing. They will discuss current evidence on the role of virtual nursing in healthcare and the role of the virtual nurse in an acute care setting, compare virtual nurse operational considerations to those of a traditional nurse staffing model, identify implications for patient safety, and interpret virtual nurse implementation outcomes for application at your own facility. Register for this webinar, hosted by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority.
  9. Event
    The Virtual Wards Conference aims to bring together senior healthcare professionals, policy leaders, and industry stakeholders to examine and tackle key challenges in the sector. By fostering collaboration and sharing knowledge among NHS peers, the conference aims to improve the virtual wards sector, leading to enhanced patient care. This event serves as a timely platform to promote innovation and collaboration, crucial for the effective management of virtual wards within the NHS and the overall improvement of the healthcare industry. Key content streams: Virtual Ward Planning and Implementation: creating understanding, confidence and credibility among patients and clinicians during the process of creating a virtual ward service for patients. The Future of Virtual Wards: the use of digital innovations to reduce pressures on the health and care system. Challenges and Opportunities of Virtual Wards: looking at the solutions to improve virtual wards, increasing their efficiency and ability to provide an effective pathway for both clinicians and patients and overcome any new and existing challenges. Workforce Narrative: implications of the workforce, how the NHS workforce long-term plan will play a role to better the virtual ward service. Register
  10. Event
    until
    On the NHS75 anniversary, NHSE announced that paediatrics will be the next priority pathway for the rollout of virtual wards. With over 350,000 children in the queue for treatment, capacity pressures continue to mount for paediatric teams. The stage is set for paediatric virtual wards to address these pressures head-on, and emerging evidence is promising. Pilot sites have demonstrated paediatric virtual wards can: Reduce a child’s length of stay in hospital by an average of 3 days Decrease hospital readmission by 38% for children with chronic conditions. So what is needed to build paediatric virtual wards that work for both children and their caregivers? This webinar will dive into the nuanced approach required when caring for children at home, bringing in insights and learnings from leading UK paediatric clinicians and experts working in the field. In this webinar you will learn: The need for a fresh approach: the huge potential for paediatric virtual wards to reduce pressure in paediatric departments and why these pathways require teams to think differently Lessons from the front-line: the key take-aways from one of the first NHS sites to trial paediatric virtual wards How to build a successful paediatric virtual ward: what is needed to set up a paediatric virtual ward pathway and team for success Speakers: Zoe Tribble, Children's Nurse Jim McDonald, Black Country ICB Juliana Faleti, Paediatric Nurse Register for the webinar
  11. Content Article
    In January 2023, NHS England’s Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency services committed the health service to ease the growing pressure on hospitals by scaling up the use of ‘virtual wards’. Also known as ‘hospital at home’, virtual wards allow people to receive treatment and care where they live, rather than as a hospital inpatient, while still being in regular contact with health professionals. This article by The Health Foundation looks at how NHS staff and the UK public feel about the use of virtual wards, based on the results of a survey of 7,100 members of the public and 1,251 NHS staff members. The survey aimed to assess how supportive these groups are of virtual wards and what they think is important for making sure they work well. Key findings The UK public is, overall, supportive of virtual wards (by 45% to 36%). But this support is finely balanced – with a further 19% unsure whether they are supportive or not. So there is further to go in raising awareness and in understanding and addressing the public’s concerns as this model of care is developed. Support for virtual wards is higher among disabled people and those with a carer – groups that typically have greater health needs and who might therefore be expected to be more intensive users of virtual wards. Those in socioeconomic groups D and E are on balance unsupportive of virtual wards, so it will be important to understand and address needs and concerns here. Notably, survey respondents in these socioeconomic groups who said that they would not want to be treated through a virtual ward were also more likely to say that their home would not be suitable for a virtual ward compared with those in other socioeconomic groups. Nearly three-quarters of the UK public (71%) are open to being treated through a virtual ward under the right circumstances, while 27% said they would not be – suggesting that, if implemented well, virtual wards should be acceptable to a large majority of service users. Interestingly, a higher proportion of the public, 78%, told us that they would be happy ‘to monitor their own health at home using technologies, instead of in a hospital’ – describing a scenario often seen as part of a broader virtual ward service, but avoiding the term ‘virtual ward’ – with only 13% saying they would not. This raises the question of whether using different terminology or providing more explanation could help alleviate concerns and build wider support. NHS staff in our survey were, on balance, clearly supportive of virtual wards (by 63% to 31%). When asked what will matter for making sure virtual wards work well, their top two factors were the ability to admit people to hospital quickly if their condition changes, and the ability for people to talk to a health professional if they need help.
  12. Content Article
    Access outline their virtual ward offer and 10 case studies from NHS trusts and other organisations from which they present findings as testimony, to show the impact of virtual wards on the NHS’ ability to provide care.
  13. Content Article
    NHS England believes virtual wards could create much-needed capacity for the NHS, but progress against the national body’s 2022-2023 guidance in this area has been inconsistent. An HSJ roundtable, in association with Akeso and Masimo, explored the barriers to adoption and how they can be tackled.
  14. Content Article
    This report summarises the findings of an evaluation conducted by Health Innovation East and Health Innovation Manchester on behalf of the national Innovation Collaborative for digital health. It presents findings from an evaluation of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) virtual ward that falls within a virtual hospital managed by South and West Hertfordshire Health and Care Partnership. It aims to inform the potential wider adoption of the virtual ward model across the UK and understand the model’s potential to support people with other health conditions. It also considers the success of South and West Hertfordshire Health and Care Partnership Virtual Ward objectives to improve patient care, clinical outcomes, healthcare utilisation, and patient and staff satisfaction. 
  15. News Article
    The chief executive at a trust behind one of the UK’s first ‘virtual hospitals’ has said this model is the ‘new gold standard’ for care provision and the trust is looking at a significant expansion. West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals Trust boss Matthew Coats said the trust aimed to eventually have “hundreds” of virtual beds for patients to be monitored at home. The trust has been at the forefront of NHS England’s programme to significantly expand the use of virtual wards across the NHS. It was also among the first to launch a virtual ward to monitor Covid patients at home during the pandemic. Its virtual ward model has since evolved beyond covid, to what the trust calls its “virtual hospital”, providing remote care for patients across several different pathways and specialties, including heart failure, respiratory and frailty patients, who are admitted from either a hospital bed, the emergency department or by GPs. Mr Coats told HSJ its virtual hospital is not only supporting better flow through the hospital, but is also leading to better patient experience. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 25 September 2023
  16. News Article
    The NHS has heralded a “new era” of healthcare that will see hundreds of thousands of patients avoid lengthy hospital stays and instead be treated in their own homes. From September, 10,000 acutely ill patients will be cared for on “virtual wards”, using remote monitoring technology which automatically transmits data on their condition to teams of doctors and nurses several miles away. Health chiefs believe the massive expansion of the scheme, which is already the largest in the world, is essential to free hospital capacity — preventing another winter A&E crisis and helping to bring down record waiting lists. Every NHS region has set up virtual wards for frail over-65s, including dementia patients, as well as for respiratory conditions such as asthma or lung disease. From this month the scheme will be rolled out to cover under-18s, allowing terminally ill children to remain at home surrounded by family. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 28 July 2023
  17. Content Article
    This is the recording of a roundtable hosted by the Institute of Health & Social Care Management (IHSCM) about virtual wards. Roy Lilley, IHSCM Chair and health policy analyst, discusses reducing waiting times, being innovative and sustainable and improving patient outcomes and patient journeys with a panel of speakers. The panel includes: Kris Glover, MD & Founder of Neon Health Solutions Paul Rylance, CTO, JKMCare Dr Folarin Majekodunmi, Director at Peopletoo
  18. Content Article
    This is the recording of a webinar hosted by The Patients' Association, looking at how virtual wards work and patients' experiences of virtual wards. A panel answered questions about who was suitable for care on a virtual ward, how they are staffed and what happens if you're not tech-savvy. The panel was: Jono Broad, a patient leader in the southwest of England. He is a Senior Manager for Personalised Care, NHS England South West, works on patient experience, safety and quality. Emma Matthews, Regional Community Development Lead NHS England South West, Consultant Practitioner Older People and Frailty. Dr Shelagh O’Riordan, Consultant Community Geriatrician at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust and Professional Adviser to the virtual ward team at NHS England. She is also Clinical Director for Frailty in East Kent and runs a large frailty virtual ward. Dr Crystal Oldman CBE, Chief Executive, The Queen's Nursing Institute. Crystal qualified as a nurse at University College Hospital, London. In 2017, Crystal was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to community nursing and her leadership of the QNI. Crystal is an Honorary Professor at London South Bank University. Patients Association member, Alan Bellinger, who represents patients on the Hospital at Home programme in Hertfordshire, and is a patient representative on the Eastern Academic Health Science Network Review of Remote Monitoring.
  19. Content Article
    Hospital at Home is a short-term, targeted intervention that provides a level of acute hospital care in an individual’s own home, or homely setting that is equivalent to that provided within a hospital. In mid-2020, the ihub within Healthcare Improvement Scotland began working with a number of NHS boards and health and social care partnerships to support the implementation of Hospital at Home services across Scotland. This toolkit was created as part of that work, providing a range of tools and resources to support areas to implement and expand Hospital at Home services.
  20. Content Article
    This long read by the Nuffield Trust looks at priority areas where further development and action could help improve the effectiveness of virtual wards. It outlines different models for virtual wards and looks at how to ensure effective system oversight. It also highlights the need to ensure the workforce is equipped to run virtual wards effectively and safely.
  21. Content Article
    Healthcare IT News interviewed Wendy Deibert, senior vice president of clinical solutions at Caregility, a telehealth technology and services company, to talk about virtual nursing's role in helping tackle the nursing shortage.
  22. News Article
    A "virtual ward" enabling patients who want to die at home get the palliative care they need has launched. Hospice Outreach provides a "specialised pathway" for patients identified by existing services who would benefit from support. It is part of a project that supports people at the very end of their life. Dr Victoria Bradley, of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), said it was about giving people "control and agency". OUH claims Hospice Outreach's virtual ward will mean more people will receive personalised care, including in their own homes if that is their choice. It said specialist palliative care would be "provided virtually or in person, depending on what is best for the patient". Amelia Foster, chief executive at Sobell House, said: "Being able to offer a virtual ward to those in a palliative crisis or at the end of their lives helping them to remain at home means more people can access our care in the way that they wish." Dr Bradley, who is the clinical lead for palliative medicine at OUH, said: "We can support with discharge from hospital to people's homes if that is their wish, and by reducing people's time in hospital and caring for them at home, we can offer the right support in their chosen surroundings." Read full story Source: BBC News, 14 March 2024
  23. News Article
    Harold Chugg spent much of early 2023 in a hospital bed because of worsening heart failure. During his most recent admission in June, the 75-year-old received several blood transfusions, which led to fluid accumulating in his lungs and tissues. Ordinarily, he would have remained in hospital for further days or weeks while the medical team got his fluid retention under control. But Harold was offered an alternative: admission to a virtual ward where he would be closely monitored in the comfort of his own home. Armed with a computer tablet, a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff and weighing scales, Harold returned to his farm near Chulmleigh in north Devon and logged his own symptoms and measurements daily, which were reviewed by a specialist nurse in another part of the county. Virtual wards provide hospital-level care in people’s homes through the use of apps, wearables and daily “virtual ward rounds” by medical staff, who review patient data and follow up with telephone calls or home visits where necessary. More than 10,000 such beds are already available across England and at least a further 15,000 are planned. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are also funding their expansion. But while proponents claim patients in virtual wards recover at the same rate or faster than those treated in hospital, and that the wards’ provision can help cut waiting lists and costs, some worry that their rapid expansion could place additional strain on patients and caregivers while distracting from the need to invest in emergency care. “Virtual wards, if they deliver hospital-level processes of care, are just one part of the solution, not a panacea,” said Dr Tim Cooksley, a recent ex-president of the Society for Acute Medicine. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 7 February 2024
  24. News Article
    Researchers have found the costs of treating patients in a 40-bed virtual ward were double that of traditional inpatient care. The study’s authors said the findings should raise concerns over a flagship NHS England policy, which has driven the establishment of 10,000 virtual ward beds. Virtual wards, sometimes described as “hospital at home”, are cited as a safe way to reduce pressure on hospitals, by reducing length of stay and enabling quicker recovery. The study at Wrightington Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, in Greater Manchester, found a clear reduction in length of stay but also found higher rates of readmission. The authors said this led to additional costs, with the cost of a bed day in the virtual ward estimated at £1,077, compared to £536 in a general inpatient hospital bed. “This raises concerns [over] the deployment of large-scale virtual wards without the existence of policies and plans for their cost-effective management. This evidence should be taken into consideration by [the] NHS in planning the next large deployment of virtual wards within the UK… “Virtual wards must be cost effective if they are to replace traditional inpatient care, the costs must be comparable or lower than the costs of hospital stay to be economically sustainable in the medium to long terms.” To break even, the paper said the virtual ward would need to double its throughput, but warned this would risk lowering the standard of care. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 25 January 2024
  25. News Article
    More than 8,500 patients in England were being treated on virtual wards in the run-up to Christmas, figures have revealed, as the NHS moves to ease pressures on hospital capacity. However, experts said the so-called hospitals at home are not a “silver bullet to solve the crisis in health and social care”. Figures published by NHS Digital revealed some 8,586 patients were treated virtually in December 2023, up from 7,886 in November. The snapshot was taken on 21 December 2023, meaning it is likely those patients spent Christmas on a virtual ward rather than an actual hospital. Virtual wards allow patients to receive care in their own homes, with clinical staff using apps or wearable technology to monitor them remotely. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said the “rapid expansion” of virtual wards beds and patients “is a real NHS success story”. He added: “This not only frees up vital hospital beds for those who need them most but ensures patients can recover in the place they are most comfortable with support from families, carers and friends, and while occupancy has been growing rapidly as NHS teams make the most of all bed capacity available, we want to see continued growth right across the country so as many patients as possible can benefit." However, Wendy Preston, the head of nursing practice at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said “virtual wards aren’t a silver bullet to solve the crisis in health and social care”. “Whether they’re in a physical bed or on a virtual ward, patients still need to be able to see a nurse,” she added. “But there are over 40,000 nursing vacancies across the NHS, and social care is chronically understaffed. Run effectively, virtual wards can relieve pressure, but on every single shift nursing staff are fighting an uphill battle to care for too many patients. “If the UK government wants to turn around the state of the NHS and deliver the ‘hospital level’ care at home that patients expect, nursing staff need to see game-changing investment in the workforce.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 15 January 2024

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