Future of Virtual Wards
Many PCTs are looking into the use of Virtual Wards as a way to effectively manage patients in the community, most especially those with long term conditions that can be high users of secondary care services. A number of pilots have been conducted (most notably at Croydon, Dudley, Warwickshire and Wandsworth) with several more due to start shortly (Nottinghamshire and Solihull). There are some variations in the way the Virtual Ward operates - for example, Warwickshire use a nurse-led model, whereas Wandsworth employ salaried GPs to manage their patients. Dudley uses what has been termed a 'collaborative' model, whereby GPs and community nurses work much more closely together, sharing the clinical workload. This collaborative approach generated both a reduction in secondary care usage, and a reduction in the GPs workload.
As reductions in heathcare funding affect PCT budgets, there has been a resurgence in the interest in Virtual Wards and risk stratification, with many PCTs turning their attention to the Dudley PCT Virtual Ward model, developed by Brian Bostock, Carl Beet and Derek Hunter. Unlike previous Virtual Ward models, the Dudley model incorporates a cross-service borough wide strategy that based on initial data appears effective in achieving positive health outcomes whilst providing cost effectiveness to health budgets.
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