Thousands of children are to be treated on so-called virtual wards as the NHS expands the rollout of the service across England.
NHS bosses said that the use of the system to monitor children at home will offer parents “peace of mind”.
Officials say virtual wards can help patients avoid unnecessary hospital trips altogether, or enable them to be sent home from hospital sooner.
Using various equipment and technology, clinicians can monitor vital signs such as a patient’s heart rate, oxygen levels and temperature remotely.
Being treated at home can have a hugely positive impact on patients – it means they receive hospital level care, but it also means they’re not separated from their families – providing peace of mind for loved ones.— Amanda Pritchard, NHS England chief executive
A virtual “ward round” can involve in-person visits or video consultations with clinicians from various specialities, who can order a range of tests and treatments – including blood tests, prescribing medication or administering fluids through an intravenous drip.
The initiative is a key part of NHS plans to recover services after the pandemic and more than 160,000 adult patients and 6,400 children have already been successfully treated on virtual wards.
To mark it’s 75th anniversary, the NHS announced that it is to create an additional 10,000 virtual ward beds by winter – including more for children and ensuring that the service will be available for families in every region in England.
Paediatric virtual wards have already been successfully be trialled in Blackpool and Dorset, officials said, offering care for conditions from asthma to heart problems.
Amanda Pritchard, chief executive of the NHS in England, 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’re 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.”
The mother of a baby who has received care on a virtual ward described how the system benefited the family.
One-year-old Hope Ezard, was born prematurely and has a rare neurodevelopmental disorder, GNB5, as well as chronic lung disease and feeding issues.
The youngster, who has four siblings, has been in and out of hospital most of her life but after the introduction of the paediatric virtual ward at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, some of her care can be given remotely.
Hope’s mother, Sarah, 39, said: “Hope has a high care demand, but being able to receive some of that care at home is so beneficial to Hope, and our other children.
“We know that in general, Hope doesn’t sleep very well when she’s in hospital and is more vulnerable to hospital infections, so there is peace of mind when she’s being cared for at home, on the virtual ward, she’s less likely to pick up anything that might make her more poorly, and she’s relaxed and comfortable in her own bed.
“For us, it’s amazing that we can have her at home with us as much as we do, and I would encourage other parents and families to talk to their doctors and nurses about paediatric virtual wards in their area.”
