Virtual wards have the potential to improve patient experience by enabling them to receive care at home, and to alleviate workforce pressures by freeing up staff time.
However, there is still a lot of work to be done to improve capacity and use of virtual wards if patients and staff are to feel the benefits. Additionally, there are still extensive variations progress and use of virtual wards – operationally, digitally and financially – across the NHS and integrated care systems (ICS). With central funding coming to an end, all parts of the health and care system face practical challenges in making virtual wards a positive option for the future.
