More residents benefiting from hospital care at home
Thursday, 3 April 2025
An increasing number of residents across Cheshire and Merseyside are now benefiting from hospital-level care without leaving the comfort of their own homes.
Figures show that more than 10,600 admissions were made to the region’s virtual wards within the last year, which would otherwise have been inpatient stays.
In Cheshire and Merseyside, the virtual ward service can support up to 430 patients at any given time.
Cheshire and Merseyside’s utilisation rate of virtual ward beds has increased significantly over the last year to an average of 89% with this frequently rising above 90%, taking the region from being one of the lowest performing Integrated Care Boards (ICB) in the country, into the top 10.
Just as in hospital, people on a virtual ward are cared for by a multidisciplinary team who can provide a range of tests and treatments.
This could include blood tests, prescribing medication or administering fluids through an intravenous drip.
Patients are reviewed daily by the clinical team and the ‘ward round’ may involve a home visit or take place through video technology.
Many virtual wards use technology like apps, wearables and other medical devices enabling clinical staff to easily check in and monitor the person’s recovery.
Virtual wards - also known as hospital at home - provide a cost-effective, community-based alternative to inpatient care, while also freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most.
Professor Rowan Pritchard Jones, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Medical Director, said:
“The success of our virtual ward programme demonstrates how technology and innovation can enhance patient care and provide benefits for the wider healthcare system.
“Being able to provide hospital-level care in the comfort of people's homes not only enhances patient experience but also helps to reduce pressure on our hospitals, ensuring beds are available for those who need them most.”
One female patient from Cheshire was jointly cared for on a virtual ward by the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, following an operation on her leg for a Basal Cell Carcinoma. Due to an infection, she was administered antibiotics to treat her leg along with blood thinning medication.
The patient said:
“I was grateful the Hospital at Home team could do these injections for me at the same time as my antibiotics.
“I was able to rest at home, look out the window at the birds, and have my treatment. I felt there was no pressure on me. Imagine if I was in hospital, frightened, not being able to sleep.
“I’ve been amazed by the excellent care I have received; everything ran smoothly, and care felt joined up.”