Plans to open more so-called virtual wards for patients in England are to be announced by the government
Plans to open more so-called virtual wards for patients in England are to be announced by the government. The measures will enable some, particularly the frail elderly, to be monitored at home by doctors using video and other technology. There will also be more community teams to visit people in their homes. It comes amid intense pressure on the health service and a dramatic deterioration in waiting times for urgent care.
In December, the average ambulance response time for emergencies like heart attacks exceeded 90 minutes - five times longer than the target - while over a third of patients waited more than four hours to be seen at A&E. On Monday, the government and NHS England will publish the Urgent and Emergency Care Plan, outlining steps intended to bring waiting times back down.
The aim of virtual wards is to support mostly elderly patients, as well as those with respiratory conditions, in their own homes rather than hospitals. Doctors and other health staff review their cases each day and patients using wearable devices can report daily readings and results so they can be remotely monitored.
Patients can receive home visits where necessary, and the technology can also be used to reduce the risk of falls. There will be a target of up to 50,000 people being supported in this way each month, up from around 10,000 at the end of last year.
There will also be more community response teams aiming to get to vulnerable patients within two hours - officials say up to 20% of hospital admissions are avoidable with the right care in place.
