Treating even more patients safely at home with the help of technology

Significant investment in new technology and service expansion is enabling more of our patients who need acute care to recover safely at home rather than in hospital.

Many patients are now able to leave our wards sooner, and in some cases avoid admission altogether, thanks to the growth of our virtual hospital ward which provides a range of nursing, therapy care and remote monitoring using state-of-the-art technology as well as video and telephone calls.

A Senior Clinical Support Worker talks through monitoring technology with a patient in his home

Previously the virtual ward operated from 8am to 8pm, which limited the types of conditions and levels of acuity that could be safely managed by the Surgical, Medical and Acute Recovery Team (SMART). Now the service, which is made up of nurses, consultants and therapists, runs 24 hours a day, the number of virtual beds has increased from 80 to 120, and the range of conditions the team can monitor remotely has expanded.

A virtual ward patient sits in his home with monitoring equipment next to him

The enhanced virtual ward service is also enabling patients to return home sooner. Average time spent under our care has reduced from nine days to eight days, reflecting both improved flow and better patient outcomes.

Elliot Hall, from Gillingham, who was admitted to the virtual ward due to double vision, said: “I thought it was so much better for my recovery being in the comfort of my own home and I had security in the knowledge that the team were just on the other end of a phone should I need them.

“Just feeling more relaxed at home was a great help for my recovery and mental health. What a great service.”

Not all virtual ward care happens remotely. SMART Nurse Practitioner Precious Chukwuma regularly visits patients to administer antibiotics using a portable elastomeric pump that releases medication at a controlled rate.

“It means they can stay mobile,” she explained. “Some of my patients even go to the shops with their pump, otherwise they’d spend up to six weeks in a hospital bed.”

Tracy Stocker, Director of Operations, said: “Research shows that patients recover quicker and better in familiar surroundings. Our virtual ward has been designed to reduce stress, improve recovery times, and lower the risk of hospital-related complications. This expansion is the first step toward growing the service to a 200-bed virtual hospital later this year.”

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