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Virtual wards along with hospital at home services allow patients to get the care they need at home safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital.
Just as in hospital, people on a virtual ward are cared for by a multidisciplinary team who can provide a range of tests and treatments. This could include blood tests, prescribing medication, or administering intravenous antibiotics.
Patients are reviewed daily by the clinical team and the ‘ward round’ may involve a home visit or take place through video technology. Many virtual wards use technology like apps, wearables and other medical devices enabling clinical staff to easily check in and monitor the patient's recovery.
This allows us to:
- Deliver high quality care in a patient's own home.
- Improve patient outcomes by preventing hospital acquired complications and deconditioning.
- Reduce hospital attendance and improve hospital flow.
Barnet Hospital
Inclusion criteria
- Be a resident of the London Borough of Barnet
- Be over 18 years old
- Require acute hospital level care for up to 14 days
- Safe to receive the care at home
North Middlesex University Hospital referrals
Inclusion criteria
- 18+ years old, from Enfield or Haringey. Eligible for publicly funded healthcare.
- Requiring hospital admission but with stable or improving observations.
- Estimated discharge destination is the usual place of residence.
- Estimated stay of 14 days or less (longer stays can be approved in exceptional circumstances).
- Able to contact 111/999 in case of emergency.
- Expedited packages of care can be provided but need confirmation prior to discharge.
- If long term follow-up arrangements are required, document what has been arranged at time of referral.
- Required medication has been given to the patient prior to sending them home.
- Patient has capacity and has consented to being managed in their home by the North Mid virtual ward team.
- Within the virtual ward capabilities of:
- BD or less IV antibiotics or oral antibiotics.
- Medication titration.
- Monitoring of bloods.
- Monitoring of observations.
- Clinical reviews.
- Falls risk assessments.
- Frailty assessments in own home for admission avoidance.
- Wound care.
- Bowel care.
- IV PPI.
Exclusion criteria
- Any patient suitable for alternative services such as district nursing, or community matrons.
- Patient has had a safeguarding alert raised or patient who poses a risk to a lone worker visiting them at home (including violence or aggression).
- Patient whose clinical needs exceed the current capabilities of the North Mid virtual ward: Currently this includes:
- Long IV infusions eg. fluids and furosemide.
- Nebuliser requirements.
- BD IV antibiotics.
- Oxygen requirements.
- Deteriorating patients.
- Worsening observations.
If the patient is discharged via this pathway and later deemed unsuitable for the service, we will initiate the re-admission process via our escalations. Virtual ward cannot take clinical responsibility for patients discharged home who do not fit the above criteria.
