What is a Virtual Ward?

A virtual ward in the NHS is a safe and efficient alternative to hospital care, enabled by technology. It allows patients to receive hospital-level care at home, utilising new technologies such as wearable devices and monitoring tools to provide real-time information on vital signs to a dedicated remote team of health professionals. This approach helps speed up recovery while freeing up hospital beds for those who need them most.

Acute Respiratory Infection Virtual Ward (ARVI)

The virtual ward aims to safely manage unwell patients with their respiratory conditions from the comfort of their own homes, reducing or removing the need for them to come to or be in our hospital.

The types of patients that the services is suitable for include:

  • COPD exacerbations (those patients needing nebulisers)
  • Bronchiectasis exacerbations (those patients needing IV antibiotics, in partnership with OPAT and Community IV Team)
  • Bronchiectasis exacerbations (those patients on oral antibiotics needing nebulisers including saline, who may or may not physiotherapy)
  • CAP (CXR proven) CURB 0-2 with co-morbidities
  • CAP (CXR proven) CURB 2 without co-morbidities
  • Influenza, covid or RSV (positive swab) with lower respiratory tract infection symptoms for monitoring.​​​​​​

 

Referring patients

If you think a patient in your care would benefit from this service, you can refer them by taking the following steps:  

Refer via ICE (Acute Respiratory Virtual Ward) or call for advice on RLH x2047 AUH x2514, 9am-6pm 7 days a week.

For more information about the Acute Respiratory Infection Virtual Ward contact Paul Tinnion, Clinical Team Leader for the community respiratory team/ARVI Virtual Ward on Paul.Tinnion@liverpoolft.nhs.uk .

The Heart Failure Virtual Ward aims to safely manage acutely unwell heart failure patients from the comfort of their own homes, reducing or removing the need for them to be in our hospital through consultant-led HF specialist multidisciplinary input. We accept admission avoidance via A&E/ acute assessment areas, community heart failure teams and early supported ward discharges. 

The types of patients that the services is suitable for include (also refer to CHOPS criteria on Trust intranet):

  • Patients presenting with symptoms of decompensated Heart Failure including need for increase in oral or intravenous diuretics for management of fluid overload
  • High risk Heart Failure patients (based on NT-pro BNP result) requiring rapid optimisation of prognostic medication with the aid of telehealth

NB - As per Trust Heart Failure guidelines, if signs of cardiogenic shock, speak urgently to the cardiologist oncall.

Please request NT-pro BNP for all patients with suspected acute Heart Failure in line with NICE guidance and referral made if age-adjusted NT-pro BNP is elevated (as per lab reference ranges). 

Referring patients

If you think a patient in your care would benefit from this service, you can refer them by taking the following steps:  

  • AUH - Refer via ICE (AUH heart failure nurse alert)/ Bleep 5071/ Tel 0151 529 2247, 8am-8pm, 7 days a week
  • RLH - refer via ICE – Heart Failure Support Nurse/ RLH HF nurse office 0151 706 5017, Bleep 4527

For more information about the Heart Failure Virtual Ward contact: HeartFailureVirtualWard@liverpoolft.nhs.uk

Jane O'Connor (Lead nurse for HFVW): Jane.O'Connor@liverpoolft.nhs.uk 

Rajiv Sankaranarayanan (Consultant lead): Rajiv.Sankaranarayanan@liverpoolft.nhs.uk

Carolyn Jackson (ANP): Carolyn.Jackson@liverpoolft.nhs.uk