Virtual Wards - Acute Hospital at Home
Pilot programme
This pilot ended in May 2023 - please contact us or take a look at our summary report to find out more about this innovative VCSE partnership initiative.
A Virtual Wards pilot, also known as Acute Hospital at Home, was trialled across Devon’s Eastern Local Care Partnership area. Patients were sent home from hospital, often with equipment for monitoring their health such as an Apple watch or a Kardia heart monitor. These devices were linked to an app to send data about heart rate and blood pressure, for example, straight to the hospital.
In order to support the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in this pilot, the VCSE (voluntary, community and social enterprise) sector (Devon Communities Together, Wellmoor, Red Cross, Westbank, Age UK, West Devon CVS, Living Options, Ottery Help Scheme, TRIP CTA, Seachange Devon) worked together to provide digital and general support to these patients. This freed up the hospital to concentrate on patients’ medical conditions. Partners received training on using the hospital’s devices from Wellmoor’s digital experts.
“The VCSE sector is well placed to provide expert support to patients in Virtual Wards and their carers. The sector is experienced in tailoring what it does for individuals and communities to minimise the impact of health inequalities and help people to regain or maintain their level of independence with dignity. Support can include practical and emotional support in the home, carer respite and support to be digitally enabled so that people can use their Virtual Ward technology with confidence. In turn, this enables patients, carers and clinicians to feel confident in embracing this model of care.”
Helen Sipthorp, Director – Health and Local Crisis Response, South and Channel Islands, British Red Cross
