This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Virtual ward trialled in Cornwall
Following the Department of Health and Social Care's announcement to improve digitalisation of the NHS, a virtual ward is being trialled in Cornwall.
43 people around Cornwall on the virtual ward are currently being monitored by clinicians. The aim of the virtual ward is to free up hospital beds and the idea came about in response to the pandemic. By providing equipment and care to people in their own home, the aim is to stop people needing to call an ambulance and use a hospital bed.
The virtual ward is based on an industrial estate in the middle of Cornwall. Despite starting as a response to the pandemic, the scheme is also available for other patients, such as those who are pregnant.
As reported by the BBC, After becoming seriously ill with Covid last year, former virtual ward patient Pamela Gale was given equipment to monitor her oxygen levels at home instead of going into hospital. She said: "As much as I'm aware of the work hospitals, nurses, doctors do, I didn't want to go into hospital.
"I wanted to be at home in bed, with my own surroundings, with my cat. I didn't have to go out in the cold. To be in an ambulance really upsets me anyway, and so I didn't have to do that, I was just in here in my own bubble, being looked after."
She added: "You can call them at any time that you want to, they are on the other end of the phone."
As reported by the BBC, in explaining how the Virtual Ward works, Sarah Poucher, a nurse on the Virtual Ward, said: "With the respiratory patients, the idea is that we monitor their oxygen by calling them every day.
"The idea is we prevent them going to hospital, they recognise that themselves, they seek help before they get to the point that they're really poorly and they end up ringing an ambulance.
"With pregnant ladies, if oxygen is dropping it means the baby's oxygen is dropping as well, and so they are automatically referred for us to monitor, and they have the safety net and advice in terms of when to call an ambulance and when to call 111."
Latest News
16/02/2024 - 12:56
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has created a new alliance intended to clean dirty air and improve residents' health.
16/02/2024 - 10:44
Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan according to new NHS data.
15/02/2024 - 10:26
The Welsh Government has provided innovation funding of £380,000 to support two projects utilising technology in domiciliary care.
15/02/2024 - 10:13
The new Scottish health secretary has met with frontline staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
14/02/2024 - 10:27
The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has appointed three new Executive Directors to the Trust Board.
Product Features
UK Building Regulations highlight toxic gas and smoke from layers of paint built up over multiple redecorations as a major cause of permanent ill health or death in a building fire.
Their concern rose with discovery the flame retardant paints most widely used paint along escape routes have been ones which to this day counter-productively use emission of heavy toxic gas to smother flames which rapidly spread along walls if layers of paint delaminate in a fire.
Supplier Profiles
Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has enabled more patients
Adveco, the commercial hot water specialist, announces the launch of live metering of domestic ho
Latest Features
Sarah Greenslade, public affairs and communications officer at the British Parking Association looks at some of the problems and innovations in healthcare parking
It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly
