Virtual wards in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

A virtual ward is a team of professionals who look after a group of patients with similar health conditions, safely and conveniently at home rather than in hospital.  Using a combination of remote monitoring by healthcare professionals and home visits, virtual wards can help prevent hospital admissions or allow for an earlier, supported discharge. 

In Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, the virtual ward service has been arranged by NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and will be provided by a collaborative of local organisations, including University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and LOROS.

People make a better recovery in their own surroundings and staying in hospital longer than necessary can have a detrimental effect on their condition and their independence. A key strategy for the local NHS, known as home first, means that before a patient is admitted to hospital or transfers to the next phase in their treatment, care providers should always consider whether the patient can be treated at home rather than in hospital. Virtual wards represent one way of making that possible.

Virtual wards are inspired by initiatives developed during the COVID-19 pandemic involving the remote monitoring of more than 1000 heart and lung patients locally. By Winter it is hoped that 287 patients will be able to be looked after simultaneously across nine virtual wards including frailty, cardiology, acute respiratory and diabetes.