Virtual wards
Virtual wards, also known as Hospital at Home, provide hospital level care and remote monitoring in your own home.
They allow you either to stay at home, receiving care at home, or after being in hospital to continue your treatment at home, where you are most comfortable.
There is emerging evidence to show that patients have better outcomes when treated at home, rather than being treated in hospital.
Virtual wards have teams of healthcare professionals near to you, who can provide high quality care to you either face to face in your own home or remotely, usually supported with clinical advice, monitoring devices, smartphones, and other technology.
They are evolving to manage a wider range of medical conditions that would otherwise be treated in hospital, particularly for frail patients and those with acute respiratory infections.
Tens of thousands of people across England are benefitting from being treated at home on a virtual ward.
What is a virtual ward?
Virtual wards allow patients to get the care they need at home safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital. The NHS is increasingly introducing virtual wards to support people at the place they call home, including care homes.