The COVID-19 virtual ward is currently being used by multiple teams nationwide. One PCN created a process which enabled them to remotely triage and monitor their patients at a time when they needed it most. The team remotely triaged patients, and if they felt the patient required monitoring on the virtual ward, the patient had the choice of being posted a ‘COVID-19 Virtual Ward pack’, or having it collected by family or friends from the surgery car park.
The packs included a full set of instructions on how to use the equipment and who to contact depending on the readings taken. The packs included tempa dots, and a pulse oximeter, which they lent the patients for the time they were being monitored in the virtual ward. Lastly, the pack included a brief summary of the my mhealth platform, which was then followed up and explained in further detail by the team over the phone. This allowed the patient time to read about the platform, and log in.
The virtual ward was monitored by hot zone doctors, and once a patient’s symptoms and condition had improved to a satisfactory level, the patient was discharged from the COVID-19 virtual ward. Their data summary was exported and uploaded into the GP system, for other health care professionals in the patient’s care, to refer to.