NHS virtual wards to treat heart failure patients at home

Thousands of patients with heart failure are set to benefit from the expansion

The NHS has announced the expansion of its virtual wards scheme, which will allow thousands of patients living with heart failure to be treated from home.

The expansion will allow patients living with heart failure to receive safe, hospital-level care at home, close to their family and friends.

The new NHS clinical guidance calls for local health systems to expand their use of virtual wards for heart failure patients who typically spend a lot of time in hospitals, as they are often susceptible to developing other conditions.

Estimated to affect over 900,000 people in the UK, heart failure, which occurs when the heart does not pump enough blood around the body, makes up around 5% of all UK emergency hospital admissions relating to the condition.

With around a dozen heart failure wards already in the UK, the services provide treatment for respiratory issues and frailty, which has reduced recovery times as well as eased pressure on hospital beds.

All patients are monitored by highly trained clinical staff through both virtual and in-home visits.

Additionally, staff can use technology such as apps, wearables and other medical devices to monitor patients and provide blood tests, prescriptions and fluid administrations via an intravenous drip.

The Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Trust Foundation and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust are already taking part in the scheme and have supported over 500 patients on virtual wards.

Professor Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, commented: “This is a positive development in how the NHS can treat patients” and “has been implemented at a key time just before winter, when there will be a lot more pressure on our hospitals and will free up beds for those who need them the most.”

The new service offer follows the NHS hitting its delivery target of 10,000 virtual ward beds in September, with over 240,000 patients successfully treated on virtual wards since April 2022.