Virtual Health offers experienced clinical care, assessment and support through improved access to traditionally in-hospital services via existing care pathways and new innovative services such as Virtual Wards. It ensures patients, receive the same standard of care wherever they are treated and where possible, can help them remain in their own home or place of residence and benefit from better outcomes.
The Telemedicine Service supports care homes and their residents across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, providing instant access for care homes to virtually talk to a specialist team about their residents who are experiencing a sudden or unexpected decline in their health.
We are focused on providing the right care for people in the right place and at the right time. Access to specialist services being just a phone call away, enables residents to receive faster care in the comfort of their own home, reducing the need to move the resident to an emergency department or another health care setting.
The service has had a big impact from the very beginning, having accelerated the launch six months ahead of schedule as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Initially serving 76 residential and nursing homes across North and Mid Hampshire care homes in Hampshire and Isle of Wight, the telemedicine team are now providing direct support for over 260 sites.
Our clinical communications centre streamlines access into hospital for primary care clinicians to access advice on patient management or admission.
This is achieved by clinicians in the hub accepting referrals for admissions for various specialities ensuring the patient is able to to bypass ED and be admitted directly to a ward, removing any touch points in ED. This along with direct access to medical and surgical Same Day Emergency Care ensures patient are assessed and treated in the right place at the right time.
The rapid access to senior clinical decision makers that the service offers ensures GPs can access specialist knowledge to support joint decision making and risk taking to make sure patients remain safely at home.
Our virtual wards enable early supported discharges via a virtual remote monitoring service for patients who could be clinically managed at home.
The virtual ward model has been successfully trialled to support early and safe discharge (step down) for Covid-19 patients in HHFT. The initiative has already been implemented in some parts of the country where it is having an impact in reducing emergency admissions.
The enhanced monitoring provided by the virtual ward gives confidence to discharging clinicians and patients that they will be safely ‘cared for’ virtually during the ‘step down’ process.
What we do
How Hampshire Hospitals' virtual wards help our communities
What is a virtual ward? - EBPC UK
Connecting care through virtual health - HHFT's Health Focus May 2023
Hear about our Virtual Health Hub team's HSJ Patient Safety Award (July 2022)
Meet the team
Becky Housley
Nurse consultant
Sam Jackson
Clinical service manager
Lara Kirby
Lead clinical assessor
Jess Nelthorpe
Lead clinical assessor
Click each team member's photo to find out more about them! To see the full Virtual Health Hub team, click here.
Patient feedback
“We were re very impressed, it made us feel looked after. Everyone was kind, patient, no one made you feel rushed or that you were a nuisance. The first thing I recognised was the friendliness of the people. I really felt looked after. Not to mention everyone so very professional”
“I came out of Winchester hospital. The virtual ward service was in touch with me the day I came out. Not only give advice and listening to me, but they also sent out nurses to get bloods and give me a good check over. They have been absolutely excellent. Everyone has been extremely good to me, and I am very impressed with the service. Please continue with your service, it’s a service that you feel really cares for their patients”
"I would like to thank every member of the virtual wards team that looked after my mum during what was a very difficult and worrying time. The virtual wards team gave me the confidence and support I needed to care for mum at home and provided a secure stepping stone from hospital to getting her back home and under the care of the GP."
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