Solent NHS Trust has begun a trial of technology to support the use of virtual wards for patients across Portsmouth and Southampton.
It is working with virtual ward service supplier Doccla, which is providing tablet and medical devices, a mobile app and clinical dashboard, along with handling logistics and an in-house clinical team. The technology is also integrated with the SystmOne electronic health record.
The trial is focused on adults with a suspected or known frailty, who are admitted to the programme once they have been assessed by the trust’s urgent response teams. Each patient is remotely monitored while at home with a daily review.
Dr Dan Baylis, chief medical officer of Solent NHS Trust, said: “Virtual wards, running across the country, provide a suitable and safe alternative to hospital care. The use of technology is largely untapped to date in terms of this patient group, so we welcome the learnings and findings that this pilot will bring to help develop and enhance our care for those in our communities, helping them to keep out of hospital wherever possible.”
Earlier this year NHS England stated an ambition to increase the capacity of virtual wards to 40-50 ‘beds’ per 100,000 population, equivalent to up to 24,000 in all, by the end of next year.
