NHS 75: Virtual children's wards trialled in Dorset to be expanded
The service gives children the care they need without hospital stays
A virtual ward scheme, which has been trialled by the NHS in Dorset, is to be expanded across the country.
The hospital at home service - already the largest of its kind in the world - will soon help tens of thousands of children in every region of England.
The scheme's successfully treated more than 6,400 children over the last year, over three pilot areas, including Dorset.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard says the virtual wards programme has 'provided peace of mind' to parents who have used them.
University Hospitals Dorset’s virtual ward pilot, ‘ChildHealth@Home’, is already helping families.
Claire Morgan’s son was on antibiotics that would have historically required a hospital stay. She said:
“The virtual ward was amazing for my son. It meant he could be discharged home where he was much more comfortable without the need to keep going back to the hospital for his antibiotics. We are very grateful for this brilliant project.”
The services will treat a range of conditions like respiratory illness, such as asthma, and heart conditions, allowing kids to get the care they need from the comfort of their homes.
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 for patients that need them most and reducing the burden of travel for families.
NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard said:
"As the NHS celebrates its 75th anniversary today, it is amazing to see how services have changed since our foundation. 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.”
NHS National Clinical Director for Children and Young People Professor Simon Kenny said:
“The introduction of paediatric virtual wards means children can receive clinical care from home, surrounded by family and an environment they and their parents would rather they be – with nurses and doctors just a call away.
“More than 6,400 children have already been treated on a virtual ward, which also means they spend less time in hospital and that paediatric beds are there for the children that need them most, when they need them.”