Virtual Wards

Our Virtual Ward solution is a system designed to provide hospital-level care for patients in the comfort of their own home.

This virtual care at home solution aims to reduce the strain on the NHS by freeing up hospital beds while maintaining safe and continuous remote monitoring for various conditions including paediatrics, diabetes and heart failure.

By allowing patients to be cared for at home, virtual wards enhance integrated health and social care, improving patient outcomes and satisfaction.

How Does the Virtual Ward work?

Before a patient is transferred to the virtual ward, clinicians conduct a comprehensive risk assessment to determine if home-based monitoring is safe. If approved, Graphnet steps in to take care of the logistics, ensuring that all the necessary equipment is delivered promptly to ensure efficient care.

Key Features of Our Virtual Ward Solution:

Quick and Easy Patient Enrolment: Graphnet ensures a streamlined process, allowing the immediate initiation of remote care.
Continuous Monitoring: Patients are regularly monitored at clinically defined intervals.
Proactive Alerts: Automated alerts are generated if any concerning health trends emerge.
Seamless Step-Down Care: When a patient no longer needs acute care, they can transition to long-term condition monitoring under primary care with ease.
Step-Up Flexibility: If a patient's condition worsens, the system allows for escalation to higher levels of care as required.
Rapid Discharge: Patients can be safely discharged from the virtual ward within minutes once they no longer need close monitoring.

What are the benefits of virtual wards?

Virtual wards not only enhance patient outcomes but also improve the overall efficiency of healthcare systems.

Here are some key benefits:

Reduced Hospital Stays: Patients can be discharged earlier, which eases pressure on hospital beds and enhances hospital capacity for more critical cases.
Intermediate Care Option: Virtual wards create a new layer of care that GPs and healthcare providers can use as a referral point, ensuring patients get the right level of attention before hospital admission becomes necessary.
More Frequent Data Collection: Patients are monitored more regularly, allowing clinicians to gather richer, real-time data, leading to better-informed clinical decisions.
Home-Based Recovery: Most patients recover better in their familiar home environment, which is also beneficial for their mental well-being, reducing the stress and anxiety often associated with hospital stays.
Timely and Safe Discharges: Virtual wards ensure that patients can be safely discharged while still receiving the necessary care and supervision, expediting the recovery process.
Enhanced Collaboration: This model promotes collaboration between healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers, creating a more unified and responsive care system.
Reduced Re-admissions: By supporting patients within their communities and monitoring them closely, virtual wards help reduce the likelihood of hospital re-admissions and enable better management of medications and ongoing treatments.

Paediatric Virtual Wards

Paediatric virtual wards are an essential tool in addressing the rising demand for high-dependency paediatric care. By streamlining patient flow from acute trusts and managing the influx of patients, they reduce hospital stays and improve resource availability.

Using our advanced Graphnet Remote Monitoring solution, children can be discharged from hospital while receiving specialist care at home.

These wards are designed to maintain the safety and well-being of young patients in a familiar environment, supporting both the child and their family.

Preparing for a Virtual Ward Rollout

Graphnet partners with clinicians, nursing teams, and consultant paediatricians to establish tailored remote monitoring systems. This includes developing condition-specific question sets for various conditions including:

· HSP (Henoch-Schönlein Purpura)

· Nephrotic syndrome

· Jaundice

· Gastroenteritis

· Bronchiolitis & respiratory conditions

In addition to consulting healthcare providers, Graphnet actively engages patients and their families throughout the process, collecting feedback and implementing improvements to prioritise patient comfort and well-being.

How Do Virtual Wards Operate?

Patient Selection and Consent: Suitable patients are identified through multidisciplinary risk assessments during ward rounds. Parents and guardians are informed about the virtual ward process, addressing any concerns and providing consent.
Enrolment and Training: Families receive training on using the technology and completing question sets, ensuring confidence before starting remote monitoring. Training videos are also available.
Daily Monitoring: Parents and/or guardians use smart devices to submit health data, accessible in real time to the clinical team. Metrics include blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate and temperature. Alerts are set for abnormal results, triggering immediate responses from the clinical team.
Ongoing Support: Families have 24/7 access to paediatric telephone support. Regular check-ins ensure continued care and address any concerns.
Discharge Process: Once the child is ready, equipment is collected, sanitised, and prepared for other patients.

Benefits of Paediatric Virtual Wards

Paediatric virtual wards offer transformative benefits for both patients and healthcare providers. Here are just some of the benefits:

For Patients and Families

Faster Discharges: Children can safely return home sooner.
Reduced Readmissions: Early evidence indicates a lower risk of returning to hospital.
Improved Quality of Life: Families enjoy greater comfort, reduced anxiety, and the ability to maintain their routines.
Enhanced Experience: Familiar surroundings promote better rest, diet, and reduced stress for both child and parent.

For Healthcare Providers

Increased Capacity: Freeing hospital beds improves patient flow.
Operational Efficiency: Less time on ward rounds and follow-ups post-discharge.
Reduced Readmissions: Lower demand on emergency services and paediatric wards.
Staff Satisfaction: Improved morale from delivering superior patient care.

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