Hospital at home (virtual wards)

Hospital at home (also known as virtual wards) allow you to get the care they need at home safely and easily, rather than being in hospital.

Through the use of a personalised treatment plan and remote monitoring devices, if appropriate, hospital at home (virtual wards) can prevent hospital admissions or enable you to leave hospital sooner to continue your treatment at home. This frees up beds for those who can't be cared for at home.

The hospital at home (virtual wards) available to you may have different levels of face-to-face contact and offer different types of care and rehabilitation, with some being fully remote. Monitoring devices might include oxygen and blood pressure monitors, apps, telephone calls or video calls via iPads. These all help provide real-time information on your vital signs to a dedicated team of health and care professionals.

Frimley Health and Care has been developing these hospital at home (virtual wards) over a number of years for people experiencing a range of serious illnesses, including respiratory conditions, stroke, cancer, frailty or general urgent acute illness. We also have hospital at home (virtual wards) specially for children, orthopaedics and end of life care.

Research shows that being at home - where a person can see friends, family and pets, practice tasks in their own environment and sleep in their own bed - is better for most people's physical health, mental wellbeing and overall recovery rate than being in a hospital bed.

When you maintain your independence and ability to remain in their own home, they are also much less likely to need to be re-admitted to hospital.

Hospital at home (virtual ward) patient information leaflet