THOUSANDS of children will be given hospital-level care at home on virtual wards, the NHS has announced.
The service will be expanded to cover kids across England this month after 6,400 were treated last year in trials.
The wards allow children to be treated at home with their families around them and will also free up hospital beds for those that need them most, health bosses said.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “This expansion will enable thousands more children to receive high quality care from home.
“Being treated at home can have a hugely positive impact on patients – it means they receive hospital-level care and are not separated from their families.”
More than 160,000 adult patients have been treated on virtual wards including hospital-at-home services since April last year.
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The new rollout to children will create an extra 10,000 virtual ward beds by winter, NHS England said.
Patients are cared for by a team providing a range of tests and treatments, including blood tests, prescribing medication or administering fluids through an IV drip.
They are reviewed daily by the clinical team and the “ward round” can involve a home visit or take place through video technology.
Many wards use apps, wearables and other medical devices enabling clinical staff to easily check in and monitor their recovery.
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NHS national clinical director for children and young people Professor Simon Kenny said the wards would be an “environment they and their parents would rather be”.
He said: “The introduction of paediatric virtual wards means children can receive clinical care from home.
“More than 6,400 children have already been treated on a virtual ward.
“It also means they spend less time in hospital and that paediatric beds are there for the children that need them most, when they need them.”
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