Virtual wards
How MedTech can drive success in virtual wards
Bernard Ross explains how, as the virtual wards programme expands, innovations can be adopted to further support patients and healthcare professionals deliver care in the home setting where necessary. He argues that leveraging self-application devices can inspire patients to manage and take charge of their own care.
Compared to other industries, the healthcare sector is typically slow to adopt new technologies and solutions, largely due to the precautions that need to be taken to protect patient health and reduce potential risks. However, the industry experienced a shift during the pandemic where new solutions were required to be able to deliver care safely and quickly. The result has been an increased use of
telemedicine to deliver non-urgent care and the adoption of new technologies such as wearable devices and digital health tools to monitor patients and help them self-manage their conditions in and out of the home. More recently, the NHS deployed virtual
wards, also known as ‘hospital at home’, designed to remotely monitor and care for patients. The ‘virtual ward’ model was first developed by Dr. Geraint Lewis in 2006, caring for 100 patients in Croydon.1 An alternative to hospital care, virtual wards, as we know them today, hold the promise of being able to improve recovery and reduce the length of stay in hospitals. This has significant implications, freeing up hospital beds and relieving huge amounts of pressure on the NHS. However, to fully capitalise on virtual wards’ ability to provide effective and convenient health care, the industry will require adjunctive tools that can empower patient-self management.
Challenges of modern healthcare The healthcare industry remains under enormous pressure to deliver timely and effective care following high health demands during the pandemic, which has left the NHS facing a backlog of millions of patients. There has been an increase in ambulance
waiting times, high occupancy rates and a significant increase in GP appointments.2
In the
hospital, there has been an additional strain on resources and the data also shows a record number of home visits were made by NHS staff in 2024.
Treating the rise in chronic conditions A significant proportion of healthcare demand can be attributed to treating chronic conditions. In England, more than 15 million people have a long-term health condition that requires ongoing treatment, time and attention from healthcare professionals.3 In 2018, chronic and long-term conditions
accounted for 50% of GP appointments and 70% of hospital beds,4
and these rates could
be higher now. Such conditions are one of the largest financial burdens to the healthcare system, with almost £14.6 billion5
of the NHS’s
total gross current expenditure (almost 80%) spent on long-term care in 2018/19, including residential, nursing and community care. This cost will have also increased significantly as demand for chronic care continues to rise. A recent study6
50 years of age will have at least one chronic condition. As a result, long-term conditions are a growing concern for health services that are navigating multiple challenges.
Introducing virtual wards With pressure building on the NHS to deliver timely care to patients, the rollout of virtual wards is imperative in helping healthcare professionals manage rising rates of chronic conditions. While there is no immediate fix, virtual wards have been presented as part of the solution to address the current challenges in modern healthcare and improve resilience to future complications. Remote care allows regular monitoring
further revealed how, by 2035, an estimated 35% of the adult population above
of patient conditions and the performance of preventive and control check-ups outside medical facilities. It is a method that has been used for decades and is typically well-received by patients.7
Virtual wards build on these June 2025 I
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