Virtual wards are allowing hundreds of people to stay home instead of in hospital across Cumbria.
The wards – known as the Hospital at Home – are an alternative to hospital-level care and have cared for over 400 people in the county this year alone.
It’s an initiative that the NHS says has significantly enhanced patient care and helped to relieve some of the pressures on hospital beds.
First introduced in 2023, the concept was piloted for patients with respiratory problems, but now virtual wards have been established for patients with heart problems and for those living with frailty.
The wards can support 25 people at any one time through the use of technology and daily support from specialist teams.
Kate Harwood specialist respiratory P=physiotherapist, who currently works on the Respiratory Virtual Ward, said: “We currently have a well-established virtual ward that offers, hospital at home acute care with daily support from specialist teams.
“We provide acute oxygen therapy, nebuliser therapy, monitoring of observations alongside educating our patients and encouraging the promotion of self-management.
“We are a team of specialist respiratory nurses, physiotherapists and health care assistants with direct access to a respiratory consultant to help manage patients in the place they call home.”
Kate describes some of the benefits of the Virtual Wards for both the patients and the Trust as being able to stay in the comfort of your own home, decreasing exposure to virus’ and infections and more.
She said: “We know that being cared for in your own home environment has a multitude of benefits to the patient, including a reduction in hospital associated risks such as falls, due to being in unfamiliar surroundings.
“Hospital admissions can lead to exposure to infections such as Covid, Flu and Norovirus. We also know that patients who are cared for at home have a reduced risk of physical deconditioning and functional decline which is particularly important to me, coming from a physiotherapy background”
The use of Virtual Wards also allows hospitals to keep beds free for those who are sick enough to require a hospital admission, which is vital during the winter months when the we typically see a rise in hospital admissions.
Patients who have received care through the virtual ward said they valued the service and have benefited from being cared for in this way.
Jeanette Hodges, 58, from Egremont, was a patient on the Respiratory Virtual Ward following a lower respiratory tract infection.
Jeanette said: “I’m really happy with the level of support and care I received from the team on the Virtual Ward, they couldn’t have done enough for me. I returned home from hospital to find all the equipment I would need was already waiting for me.
“I was also told if my symptoms worsened there was no need for me to ring an ambulance or go to A&E I would be seen by one of the team right away, which is a huge relief for me.
“I much prefer to be cared for in this way at home and the team have been so attentive, I can’t praise them enough.”
Kate added: “For Jeanette we were able to facilitate an early discharge, managing her condition at home, during that time she began with flu –like symptoms which we were able to manage via the Virtual Ward and prevent a readmission to hospital, something I know was a huge relief to Jeanette.”
Maria Parsonage respiratory consultant nurse at NCIC said: “The virtual ward has been a great asset to the Trust, local people, and their families. They support people to live well in the comfort and familiarity of their own home whilst receiving the care they need.
“Since they were launched over 590 patients have been supported by the Virtual Wards and we’re delighted to be part of their continued success.”
NCIC are exploring other opportunities for Virtual wards to be used to support other services and hope to be able to roll this out further in the future.
