Professor Hamde Nazar sums up the event with PPIE member, Susan Mountain.

On  11th June 2025, the first of a series of events in June focussing on Virtual Wards (hospital at home) was hosted by the Newcastle NIHR PSRC. Representatives across many of the PSRCs contributed to the planning and organisation of this SafetyNet event.

 

Given the increasing drive for the use of technology in healthcare, the event brought together practitioners, researchers and patient and public representatives to discuss and consider the opportunity and challenges of the use of technology to support virtual ward service delivery.

 

The day started off considering the patient and public voice first and foremost. The figure below summarises discussions from a patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) session held earlier in the year. Concerns were aired about the feasibility of technology being appropriate and accessible to all people, with other considerations voiced about the reliability of technology and trusting its effectiveness and security. People acknowledged that there are key challenges to address within the system around the workforce being properly resourced and trained, and about the existing IT infrastructure being fit for purpose. By the end of the discussion, people had ‘warmed’ to the idea, appreciating the opportunities for efficiency and potential improvements in care. However, people were keen to see small incremental developments with rigorous monitoring and evaluation to ensure people and patients were able to keep up and be reassured about the safety, equity and effectiveness of technological advancements within the NHS.

PPIE Key Points Cartoon image of a person looking unhappy. Public Perception & concerns: Mixed reactions, elderly & vulnerable. Fear of technology. Trust & reliability. Cognitive limitations. Image of a triangle with an exclamation mark in it. Safety & System Concerns: Risks of failure. Staff coordination issues. Resource allocation. Pharmacy Challenges. Image of a wheelchair user in a location pin. Access & Equity: Complex needs. Specialist access. Cultural shift needed. Digital & infrastructure gaps. Image of a House with a money sign and thermometer Inequalities & research: Technology potential. Safety & sustainability. Evidence & Engagement. Small Steps.
Infographic showing key PPIE points from the NIHR SafetyNet Technology Enabled Virtual Wards event 11th June 2025

The event then included keynote speakers providing insight into existing evidence for the use of technology, with regards to effectiveness, impact on clinical outcomes and economic repercussions. These have been well captured in a series of scribes created by Claire Hubbard from Nifty Fox Creative.

 

An infographic titled "Wearable Technologies" by Dr. Cristian Roman and "Technologies of Care for Older People" by Dr. Petra Makela, dated 11th June 2025. The left side explores the evolution and application of wearable technologies in healthcare, beginning with remote monitoring in the 1930s. It highlights the use of virtual high-dependency units (vHDUs) and wearable devices for monitoring patients both at home and in hospital wards. Key themes include the importance of context in implementation, the risk of alarm fatigue, and variability in technology and data across settings. The right side contrasts two models of care for older adults: Virtual Wards and Hospital at Home. It outlines assumptions about the therapeutic nature of home environments, emphasizes patient-centered care, and discusses the importance of clear communication, information sharing, and bounded interventions. The infographic also stresses the significance of terminology and maintaining a personal touch when engaging with patients and caregivers.
Artist interpritation of Dr Cristian Roman and Dr Petra Makela’s presentations
An infographic titled "Safety and Performance for Acute Respiratory Infections" by Dr. Lavinia Ferrante di Ruffano and "Implementation and Impact: Insights" by Dr. Amanda Begley and Dr. Anna Buylova, dated 11th June 2025. The left side outlines the safety of a Virtual Ward (VW) platform using step-up (no hospital admission) and step-down (early discharge) models. It notes varied escalation and readmission rates, cost-effectiveness depending on uptake, and conflicting evidence about efficacy. The right side shares insights from six VW services, highlighting key success factors such as onboarding, early detection, staff training, EPR system integration, and supplier collaboration. It also identifies opportunities in primary care tech use, refining criteria, and improving training, with a call for more research and development.
Artist interpritation of Dr Lavinia Ferrante Di Ruffano and Dr Amanda Begley and Dr Anna Buylova’s presentations
An infographic titled "Patient/Carer Reporting" and "Equipping the Workforce," dated 11th June 2025. The left section emphasizes the importance of daily check-ins with patients and carers, understanding carers' limitations, recognizing unsuitable home environments, and maintaining consistent communication. It advocates for care that feels personalized and homelike. The right section focuses on workforce development, addressing hesitancy around technology, the benefits of consistent use, the need for clear protocols, external training to address staffing challenges, group-based face-to-face training, and allowing extra time with patients.
Artists interpritation of Patient/Carer Reporting and Equipping the workforce
An infographic dated 11th June 2025 featuring five healthcare topics by Faiza Yahya, Bushra Alenazi, Toyosi Ganiyu, Gail Opio-Te, and Mariam Fargin. Faiza Yahya discusses proactive care using digital twins and lessons from aviation and manufacturing, with considerations around usability, power, and security. Bushra Alenazi compares "Hospital at Home" and "Virtual Wards" across 12 studies from various countries, noting limited evidence for virtual wards in ECOPD and the need for more research. Toyosi Ganiyu examines safety risks and benefits for patients aged 65+, highlighting unpredictable home environments, increased comfort and privacy, reduced infection risk, and the need for seamless reporting systems. Gail Opio-Te focuses on virtual wards for children, noting challenges with hybrid equipment sizing and varied family response rates. Mariam Fargin raises patient wellness questions, emphasizing staff rotation and differing priorities.
Artist’s Interpretation from the three 10-minute Research presentations.

The final panel discussion saw the keynote speakers tackling provoking questions posed by the audience, e.g., ‘how do we ensure equity in technology-enabled virtual wards?’, ‘what are the biggest challenges for the implementation of technology?’, ‘how sustainable is the use of technology in virtual wards?’

 

There was rich debate, and we can safely say we did not go away with all the answers. Virtual ward care, and technology use in this service model is a quagmire of half-knowns and unknowns. There is need for scrutiny and evaluation of service models to understand what is working, where, how and for which patients and their carers.

 

The recently released NHS 10-year plan frames technology as the default mechanism to engage with health by 2035. This means trying to understand how technology is deployed and used in virtual ward care is crucial and continued resource and engagement across practitioners, researchers and public and patient representatives is needed.

An infographic titled
Artist’s Interpretation of the Panel discussion.

On that note, one of our patient and public representatives who attended the event provides her experience and takeaway thoughts:

 

My name is Susan Mountain and I live with multiple long-term conditions.  I became involved with public involvement in 2019 and since then I have been part of many research projects, I am a public contributor to the PSRC, AI Multiply, ARC, CNTW, Sunderland University PCPI team, a campaigner for smoking cessation and I help with the Secure Data Environment.

 

I attended the SafetyNet Technology Enabled Virtual Wards event and found it very interesting.  I heard many people talk of virtual wards but to be honest no one really convinced me that they are currently safe.  I personally don’t think they are looking at the families that are involved when a patient is sent home using the virtual ward apparatus.  I am concerned that there will be too much pressure on the family. 

On that note, one of our patient and public representatives who attended the event provides her experience and takeaway thoughts:

 

I understand that there are benefits: it reduces the pressure on hospital beds; research has shown people recover quicker in home settings and it reduces the chances of infections in recovering patients.

 

They talked about patients being provided with medical devices to track vital signs and that all data would be transmitted to the hospital where it will be checked at regular intervals.  It did worry me if the internet stops working, then how can they monitor.  I had an elderly Mam in hospital and even in hospital I had to advocate for her so what would happen if she was at home? 

 

I believe the PSRC has an important role to play in ensuring that this is fully researched before it is rolled out.   It is also vital that staff are properly trained and that there is appropriate internet access in the cases selected for treatment at home.