Scheme to prevent unplanned hospital admissions examined
New research is evaluating a scheme aimed at preventing unplanned hospital admissions by patients. The study funded by the NIHR SDO programme will see whether it can improve patient care and save the NHS money.
Researchers based at the Nuffield Trust will evaluate the costs and benefits of so-called Virtual Wards in Croydon, Devon and Wandsworth. Virtual wards work just like hospital wards except that the patients being cared for stay in their own homes throughout their treatment. The scheme, which targets patients who are at risk of future emergency hospital admissions, was first launched in Croydon Primary Care Trust (PCT) in 2004 and has since been adapted and adopted by other PCTs in England and internationally.
The Research team will aim to find out find out exactly how much it costs to run a virtual ward, and what effect – if any – they have on the use of health and social care services. The results will be used to help councils and the NHS decide whether to fund virtual wards and how best to run them locally. The research findings will be published by the SDO programme in late 2011.
Dr Geraint Lewis, Senior Fellow at the Nuffield Trust said: ‘Virtual Wards are trying to tackle one of the major challenges facing the NHS – how to reduce rates of unplanned hospital admissions, which cost the NHS millions of pounds each year. We will work closely with health professionals, managers and finance officers to understand how effective the virtual wards are, how much they cost to run, and whether they are delivering financial savings for the NHS and local authorities.’
To view the project details click here
