Hull and East Riding Frailty Hospital at Home Virtual Ward

What is Hospital at Home Virtual Ward?

For patients diagnosed with an acute condition which can be treated and monitored appropriately and safely at home, providing they have the right support in place. The Hull and East Riding Frailty Hospital at Home virtual ward service can offer this treatment, monitoring and support.

This means that patients can stay in the comfort of their own home and a team of healthcare practitioners including doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists will treat and monitor conditions. Monitoring conditions means that if patients become more unwell this will be picked up and responded to early.

The healthcare team will assess patient’s condition thoroughly and will put a treatment plan in place, which will include planning for if a patient’s health deteriorates. This will be done jointly with patients, family and/or carers.

Treatment plans may include interventions usually delivered in hospital, for example medications via drips. Patients may be given remote monitoring devices to record vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse or oxygen levels. We show patients how to use devices and how to send readings to the healthcare team for review.

To be receiving hospital at home care patients are likely to be unwell and their overall condition may change. If patients become more severely unwell, transfer to hospital may be both recommended and acceptable to patients (for example, if a patient fell and broke their hip, or had a new stroke). However, if a patient’s condition does not improve with treatments, then it may be a patients wish to receive end of life care at home and we will also support this choice.

When patients are well enough to be discharged from the service and follow-up will be arranged if needed. A discharge letter detailing the diagnosis, treatment and any ongoing management will be sent to the patient and their GP.