On the virtual ward
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Healthwatch Suffolk undertook an independent evaluation of the virtual ward service at West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to better understand the experience of family carers and relatives supporting patients to use the service. They undertook a survey, interviews and case studies. They spoke to 42 people.
The benefits of a virtual ward for family carers and relatives were:
- The tech being easy to use
- Staff providing good instruction
- Carers feeling well supported
- Positive staff attitude
- People felt involved in the care provided
- Receiving care at home had aided patient recovery
- Patients were well monitored
- They didn't need to travel to to the hospital.
Challenges of a virtual ward for family carers and relatives were:
- Awareness is low
- Involvement at admission
- One way flexibility
- Urgent situations weren't dealt with any differently
- The additional responsibility of the virtual ward could be challenging, depending on people’s circumstances.