Tens of thousands of children are set to receive hospital-level care at home as part of an expansion of virtual wards on the NHS.
The announcement is set to come from NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard on the 75 anniversary of the health service.
The ‘hospital at home’ service will cover children in every region of England from this month, after successfully treating more than 6,400 children in a pilot scheme over the last year.
Pritchard said the NHS virtual wards programme has “provided peace of mind” to parents who have used them during trials, including in Blackpool, Dudley and Dorset.
What is a virtual ward and how does it work?
Virtual wards allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds.
Children on a virtual ward would be cared for by a multi-skilled team who can provide a range of tests and treatments, including blood tests, prescribing medication or administering fluids through an intravenous drip.
They would be reviewed daily by the clinical team and the ‘ward round’ may involve a home visit or take place through video calls.
Many virtual wards use technology like apps, wearables and other medical devices enabling clinical staff to easily check in and monitor patients’ recovery.
Children will be treated for a range of conditions like respiratory illness, such as asthma, and heart conditions, but from the comfort of their homes.
How is it helping children?
In Blackpool, almost 200 children have been treated on a paediatric virtual ward.
Hope Ezard, who is 21 months old, is one of them. She was born prematurely at just 29-weeks and has a rare neurodevelopmental disorder, GNB5, as well as chronic lung disease and feeding issues.
Hope has been in and out of hospital for most of her life to be treated for recurring respiratory infections, and to receive high-pressure oxygen and antibiotics.
The introduction of the virtual ward meant Hope could be moved home sooner.
Hope’s mum, Sarah, 39, said being able to receive care at home “is so beneficial to Hope, and our other children”.
“We know that in general, Hope doesn’t sleep very well when she’s in hospital and is more vulnerable to hospital infections, so there is peace of mind when she’s being cared for at home, on the virtual ward,” she said.
“She’s less likely to pick up anything that might make her more poorly, and she’s relaxed and comfortable in her own bed.
“And the fact that the brilliant community nurses are just a phone call away reduces any anxieties that we might have had.”
In Dudley, mum Anum Shazady praised the virtual ward for keeping her son out of hospital, with twice daily calls from NHS staff.
Anum said: “Now my son is on the virtual ward I can record his observations as many times as I want throughout the day, recording them onto the virtual ward pad and a member of staff calls me twice daily which reassures me that he is safe in our home environment.
“The new virtual ward is great for me and my family as it stops my son staying in hospital longer than he needs.”
Why are they expanding the scheme?
The ultimate aim is to free up hospital beds – especially ahead of winter.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “Virtual wards are already providing excellent care to families when their children are sick, and this expansion will enable thousands more to receive high quality care from home.
“Being treated at home can have a hugely positive impact on patients – it means they receive hospital-level care, but it also means they are not separated from their families – providing peace of mind for loved ones.
“As we look to the next 75 years of the NHS, we will continue to embrace the latest technologies and innovations to meet the changing needs of patients while ensuring that care is as convenient as possible.”