How virtual wards are shaping a new and successful way of caring for our patients

Priscilla Harris, a respiratory nurse in Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s THORT (Torbay Hospital Outreach Respiratory Team), talks about how virtual wards are changing the way people are cared for.

I have worked in respiratory medicine for 35 years, and even though the caring side of being a nurse doesn't change, the way we support and care for people has changed greatly.

Back when I first started, people with chronic respiratory conditions were routinely admitted to hospital every eight to 12 weeks for chest physio and/or antibiotics.

Over time, it became evident that this treatment was not physically beneficial, although psychologically patients felt that something was being done for them and willingly came into hospital.

Our emphasis now is to get people home from hospital as soon as they are medically fit to leave, or even better prevent admission with ongoing monitoring and support in the form of virtual wards.

The respiratory department has been providing an early supportive discharge service for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) for the past 24 years. Virtual wards have built on this by expanding the conditions supported and providing more treatments at home.

Virtual wards are a fantastic example of how care in the NHS has changed since the health service was first founded. Here in Torbay and South Devon we have respiratory and cardiology virtual wards in place, and the organisation has plans to expand.

A virtual ward is a safe and efficient alternative to bedded care, enhanced by technology. It means that people can remain in their own home to receive the acute care, monitoring and treatment that they need without having to come to hospital, unless they need to.

This supports a key part of our vision to provide care as close to home as possible, as we know spending time in hospital is not always the best way to care for people. Virtual wards are now in place across the country, with a range of specialist staff monitoring people at home using the latest digital health techniques, including smart phone apps, technology platforms and wearable medical devices, such as temperature readers and pulse oximeters.

Relevant treatments are administered at home or in the hospital as a day appointment, with staff visiting people in their own homes to check how they are. The team are also contactable every day, with clear plans in place if people become unwell overnight.

We know being at home has a hugely positive impact by allowing people to continue with their daily routines, enjoy home comforts in a familiar environment and have family and friends around.

It also means avoiding any potential hospital acquired infections, which we know those with respiratory difficulties are particularly vulnerable to.

It has been fantastic to hear some recent feedback from the people we care for, including Joy and Carole.

Joy enjoyed being at home and felt reassured by the team who were on hand to support her: “She let herself in, chatted to me, took my temperature, my pulse, blood pressure. You're much happier at home, you've got your own bed, you've got people who can visit.”

Carole wanted to provide reassurance for anyone who might be supported by our team: “The respiratory team is on the end of the phone and if they're not there they'll get back to you pretty quickly. I didn't have any worries because anything I was worried about, they were happy to contact me and deal with it.”

We know how much people have benefitted from the virtual ward service and it is incredibly important that we build on innovations as we look to the future of the NHS. It is a fantastic example of how we can make use of the digital health technologies available to us.

If you would like to find out more about our virtual wards work, please visit our website, www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk, where you can read more and watch a video featuring members of our team as well as the brilliant Joy and Carole.