Virtual Wards
Virtual Wards allows patients to receive frequent clinical monitoring and treatment at home—through home visits, phone check‑ins, and digital technology—providing a safe alternative to a hospital stay with care delivered by a multidisciplinary team through an individualised plan
Our services
Virtual Ward provides a safe and convenient alternative to staying in hospital by allowing patients to receive treatment and monitoring in the comfort of their own home.
Our Virtual Ward team assesses patients regularly, either through home visits or remotely using technology. This may include phone calls, wearable monitoring devices, and other medical equipment to help track a patient’s health.
Care is delivered by a team of healthcare professionals from a range of specialties, working together to ensure each patient receives the right support. Every patient has an individualised treatment plan tailored to their needs.
Virtual Wards are designed for people who are able to remain at home but still require frequent clinical monitoring & intervention. Patients are contacted daily by the clinical care team through a mix of home visits, telephone check-ins, and digital monitoring. ‑ins, and digital monitoring.
This approach allows patients to rest and recover in familiar surroundings while still receiving expert care and regular oversight.
You can watch a short video on the service by clicking here: Shropshire NHS - Virtual Ward - Master on Vimeo
The people we see
The service delivers a hospital standard of care in the place you call home.
- Research shows that being at home is much better for your:
- physical health
- mental wellbeing
- recovery from illness
The service will let you have:
- all the benefits of staying at home such as spending time with family and pets etc at a time that you are feeling unwell,
- a dedicated team of healthcare professionals.
The team will review you in person or remotely depending on your needs
New patients
Any healthcare professional can refer a patient to the Virtual Ward Team when they believe the individual can be safely supported at home.
The aim is to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions by providing appropriate care closer to the patient’s home or within a community setting.
Existing patients
If you need to speak to someone from the Virtual Ward team about your treatment whilst receiving care and support please call:
Tel: 07811 946946 (available 8am – 8pm)
If it is outside these hours, then you may leave a message and the team will return your call as soon as possible on the next working day.
At other times or if you feel the situation is urgent you can either contact NHS direct on 111 or in an emergency situation you can still dial 999.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Aim of Virtual Ward
-
• Offer a Comprehensive Clinical Assessment within 24 hours which will be discussed with a senior clinical decision maker in order to create a personalised care plan.
• Provide an alternative to admission to a hospital
• Manage an acute health crisis in the person’s own home, including Care Homes
• Ongoing monitoring and intervention for a period of up to 14 days
• Signpost patients after 14 days to access ongoing health or social care services and teams
- What are the Benefits of Virtual Ward for Patient
-
• Provides safe care supporting patients through acute illness
• If appropriate, patients can safely go home earlier, or avoid hospital altogether
• Better outcomes and faster recovery for many patients
• Patients can stay connected to their families, carers and communities
• Reduction of Hospital acquired complications such as de-conditioning
• Reduced waiting times and fewer trips to NHS settings
• Same high-quality clinical care, just as patients would have on a ward
• The patient can be treated from the comfort of their own home, which many prefer
• Ongoing monitoring and access to Health Care Professionals in a simple, innovative way
Contact us
Contact Us
Virtual Ward
Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust
Halesfield 6
Telford
TF7 4BF
Email: Shropcom.vw@nhs.net
Tel: 07811 946946
Feedback on our service
We would appreciate feedback on your experience of the Virtual Ward. You can do this by scanning the QR code, using the feedback link or completing and returning the feedback card in your Patient Record Folder.
