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The service, which launched in December, has already seen more than 60 patients. It aims to help patients recover faster and ensure only those who need to be in hospital are.
Inpatients and patients in our emergency department with a range of conditions including hypertension, pneumonia and flu, are assessed and if considered suitable, can be referred to the virtual ward.
They are then sent home with a blood pressure monitor, finger pulse oximeter and electronic tablet device to measure their vital signs and input them into an app. If needed, the virtual ward team can also provide patients with equipment to monitor their heart rate and weight. A clinician in the adult assessment unit reviews the results in real time and if they do not receive them or there are any concerns, the patient will be contacted immediately.
In addition, enhanced care can also be arranged where the patient receives a visit at home from one of our nurses. The patient can be moved seamlessly on to the hospital @ home service instead of having to come back to hospital.
Hema Patel (pictured below), 42, was one of the first patients to go into our virtual ward. She's being treated for breast cancer at another hospital and was rushed into BH's emergency department with an increased heart rate and high blood pressure after missing a chemotherapy session due to illness.
She said: "When I was offered the chance to go home instead of stay in hospital for a week, I said yes as I knew I would be much more comfortable.
“I absolutely loved being on the virtual ward – it felt like my doctors and nurses were with me at all times. They called immediately if I missed a reading or if something did not seem right. I had total confidence in them. I would tell anyone who is given the opportunity to do this to go for it.”
Dr Lauren Farber, clinical director for acute care and medical staffing, said: "Before we introduced this virtual ward, patients would stay in hospital for up to two weeks for monitoring but now this can be done while they are at home where we know they recover better.
“This approach is helping us reduce the time our patients are waiting for a bed in our emergency department and helping these patients get better more quickly."
Main picture: Staff involved with the adult assessment unit (AAU) ward
