Virtual Wards
At Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, we are working with our Place partners in Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to deliver an integrated virtual ward service for the Central Lancashire population.
Virtual wards are one of the innovative ways that the NHS is looking at helping patients access the care they need quickly, safely and conveniently.
Virtual wards were used successfully during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide additional capacity to hospital beds, enabling more people to receive the care they need.
Virtual wards can help prevent admission to hospital or allow for an earlier, supported discharge that enables people to recover from their illness and receive the care they need, all from the comfort of their own home.
Virtual wards offer patients more choice about where they would like to receive their care. Rather than being in hospital, patients remain under the care of the hospital and are carefully monitored remotely by the virtual ward team using state of the art technology and equipment.
The NHS is now increasingly expanding the availability of virtual wards for people with a range of with acute care needs including respiratory infection and people living with frailty.
By being in their own home, people are supported to be as independent as possible, helping to avoid the level of deconditioning sometimes seen in a hospital environment.
- About the team
- What are Virtual Wards?
How do virtual wards provide care for patients?
Eligible patients must meet certain clinical criteria to be admitted to virtual wards. Patients can discuss eligibility for the virtual ward with their doctor or nurse. If eligible, the patient can be admitted to the virtual ward from a hospital ward, emergency department or clinic.
Eligibility of admission to a virtual ward
A doctor or nurse will assess the patient suitability and, if eligible, the patient will be referred to the virtual ward team.
Who are the virtual ward team?
An integrated virtual ward team made up of multi-disciplinary clinical staff, operational management and support staff from community and acute settings to support the patient through their virtual ward stay.
Continuous health monitoring at home
The virtual ward team will advise the patient about what care and treatment they can expect. the patient will be provided with equipment they need to enable your condition to be monitored remotely and one of the virtual ward nurses and support team will teach the patient how to use the devices that are needed to safely monitor health at home. The patient may also receive some treatments at home or may need to return to hospital occasionally for additional tests.
Daily check-ins with a dedicated virtual ward team
The virtual ward team will check in with the patient on a daily basis via video or phone call using a range of technology including tablets, wearables and other medical devices. The patient can speak face to face with the team about their condition, receive clinical advice and agree next steps for care, all without having to come to hospital. If a home visit is required, a member of our community-based team will also arrange a suitable time to visit the patient.
The patient can be assured that their condition will be closely monitored and the virtual ward team will be alerted to take action if they are not recovering as quickly as expected, their condition deteriorates or they need any changes making to medication or equipment to aid recovery. They can also contact the virtual ward team at any time if they have any queries or concerns they’d like to discuss.
Discharge or referral to other care services
Following the completion of care on the virtual ward, patients will be discharged from the virtual ward, just as they would from hospital. If necessary, they may also return to hospital for further treatment or be referred to other care services.
We are planning on expanding the workforce to support development of the service and increasing capacity, so we are looking for a variety of roles to join the team based across acute and community settings. If you are interested in being part of this new and exciting service, please check NHS jobs for any roles out to advert or see contact details below.
Further updates will be provided here as the service develops.
- How do virtual wards provide care for patients?
Eligible patients must meet certain clinical criteria to be admitted to virtual wards. Patients can discuss eligibility for the virtual ward with their doctor or nurse. If eligible, the patient can be admitted to the virtual ward from a hospital ward, emergency department or clinic.
- Eligibility of admission to a virtual ward
A doctor or nurse will assess the patient suitability and, if eligible, the patient will be referred to the virtual ward team.
- Who are the virtual ward team?
An integrated virtual ward team made up of multi-disciplinary clinical staff, operational management and support staff from community and acute settings to support the patient through their virtual ward stay.
- Continuous health monitoring at home
The virtual ward team will advise the patient about what care and treatment they can expect. the patient will be provided with equipment they need to enable your condition to be monitored remotely and one of the virtual ward nurses and support team will teach the patient how to use the devices that are needed to safely monitor health at home. The patient may also receive some treatments at home or may need to return to hospital occasionally for additional tests.
- Daily check-ins with a dedicated virtual ward team
The virtual ward team will check in with the patient on a daily basis via video or phone call using a range of technology including tablets, wearables and other medical devices. The patient can speak face to face with the team about their condition, receive clinical advice and agree next steps for care, all without having to come to hospital. If a home visit is required, a member of our community-based team will also arrange a suitable time to visit the patient.
The patient can be assured that their condition will be closely monitored and the virtual ward team will be alerted to take action if they are not recovering as quickly as expected, their condition deteriorates or they need any changes making to medication or equipment to aid recovery. They can also contact the virtual ward team at any time if they have any queries or concerns they’d like to discuss.
- Discharge or referral to other care services
Following the completion of care on the virtual ward, patients will be discharged from the virtual ward, just as they would from hospital. If necessary, they may also return to hospital for further treatment or be referred to other care services.
We are planning on expanding the workforce to support development of the service and increasing capacity, so we are looking for a variety of roles to join the team based across acute and community settings. If you are interested in being part of this new and exciting service, please check NHS jobs for any roles out to advert or see contact details below.
- Relevant Leaflets/Documents/Links
