'Virtual wards': how nurses are managing care at home
GPs have highlighted innovative work by nurses in knitting together health and social care...
02 Feb 2017
CPD Webinar: Virtual wards
Free CPD webinar for nurses worth 2 hours CPD that examines virtual wards, including delivery models, barriers and implications for the nursing workforce
Free CPD webinar for nurses worth 2 hours CPD that examines virtual wards, including delivery models, barriers and implications for the nursing workforce.
Register to watch this webinar for free
Watch it on-demand at a time that suits you, and add two hours CPD into your RCNi Portfolio.
Key points from this CPD webinar:
- Overview of a virtual ward in practice.
- The range of ways in which virtual wards can be implemented.
- Workforce implications of running virtual wards within an integrated care model.
- Overcoming barriers to implementing virtual wards.
- How virtual wards are improving patient care.
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020 8872 3134 | paul.welch@rcni.com
With a request for Integrated Care Systems to deliver the equivalent of 40-50 virtual ward ‘beds’ per 100,000 of the population by December 2023, NHS England’s ambition is clear - but what needs to be done to turn this ambition into reality?
This practical and informative webinar brings together expert speakers with hands-on experience to assess the different models available, the workforce implications of running virtual wards within an integrated care model, and patient outcomes and experience.
What are virtual wards?
- Virtual wards offer hospital-level care in a person’s home environment, for example their own home or a care home.
- Virtual wards involve remote monitoring, using apps, technology platforms and medical devices, such as pulse oximeters. They can also involve face-to-face care from a multidisciplinary team, usually based in the community, often called hospital at home.
- Virtual wards aim to provide a safe, effective and person-centred alternative to hospital inpatient care. Close working with patients, families and carers is vital.
- NHS England has asked all integrated care systems to extend or introduce virtual wards. The aim is to have the equivalent of 40-50 virtual ward ‘beds’ per 100,000 population by December 2023. This equates to 24,000 virtual ward beds. Priority areas are respiratory and frailty. All four UK nations have services providing hospital-level care at home but this is not universal.
- Nursing roles in virtual wards include band 5 posts, sometimes working in remote monitoring and also in people’s homes. They may be experts in frailty for example, or in leadership roles.
- Development of virtual wards must take account of local populations and geography, for example, a rural area will have different needs to a city.
- There is some evidence that providing hospital-level care at home can improve patient experience and outcomes, and benefit families, carers and health and care systems.
A virtual wards capability framework was published in October 2022, commissioned by NHS England and developed by Skills for Health. It provides a standardised scope of practice for nurses in virtual wards and will influence workforce, education, training and career progression in virtual wards.Click here to read the virtual wards capability framework 
This webinar, the first in our two-part virutal wards series, took place on Tuesday 22 November 2022.
Virtual Wards CPD Webinar, Part 2
The second in our two-part Virtual Wards CPD webinar series takes place on Wednesday 1st February 2023, and will look at lessons learned, building on the insights of our November event. This valuable forum for sharing ideas and reflecting on realities will pull together the experiences of new and more established virtual wards – developing a picture of what good looks like, and how it can be achieved.
Watch part two on-demand
The second in our two-part Virtual Wards CPD webinar series takes place on Wednesday 1st February 2023, and will look at lessons learned, building on the insights of our November event. This valuable forum for sharing ideas and reflecting on realities will pull together the experiences of new and more established virtual wards – developing a picture of what good looks like, and how it can be achieved.
Watch part two on-demand
This event was sponsored by Baywater Healthcare, PHL Group and Doccla
Contents of this CPD webinar
Host
Lisa Berry, Editor, Nursing Older People and Mental Health Practice
Keynote presentation:
What is a virtual ward? Examining the scope of different models and the range of ways in which they can be implemented
Virtual Wards Team, NHS England and NHS Improvement
Keynote presentation:
Case studies of a virtual ward in practice.
Maintaining patient safety, improving care and the unsung benefits
- Rebecca Ashworth, Lead Nurse, Doccla
Implementation and outcomes of a COVID-19 virtual ward
- Dr Hein le Roux, GP, Churchdown Surgery, Quality Improvement Lead, One Gloucestershire ICS and Deputy Medical Director, NHS England South West
- Sophie Iurlano, Contract Manager, Baywater Healthcare
Panel discussion
Examining opportunities and overcoming barriers when implementing virtual wards across multi-disciplinary teams, and their role within virtual care
- Gemma Bond, Director of Nursing and Quality, PHL Group
- Lucy Lewis, Consultant Practitioner/Clinical Lead Lymington & New Milton Frailty Hub, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Virtual wards: how they work and their opportunities for nurses
- How to set up a virtual frailty ward and ensure continuity of care
- Improving safety by developing trust with a just culture
- Learning module: The effect of organisational culture on patient safety
- Learning module: Promoting patient safety through effective communication and teamwork
Find other free CPD webinars for nurses on the RCNi events Calendar
Watch previous nursing CPD webinars at CPD webinars on-demand