Community Step Up Virtual Wards - from Conception to Delivery (ID 451)
Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board
Funding: NONE
Abstract
Background The Covid pandemic and drive to reduce hospital bed occupancy led to an increase in numbers of patients cared for at home with remote digital monitoring. The possibility of extending this to other disease areas became clear, soon within Norfolk and Waveney 2 out of 3 of the Acute trusts in Norfolk & Waveney ( N&W) had step down VW pathways – largely respiratory and frailty, but other pathways included gastro, hot gall bladder, palliative care etc. The desire to extend this to a Community “step up VW” and ultimately combine the two was emerging at the end of 2021 and in May 2022 an ICB led meeting was had with stakeholders to look at Pathways and increase engagement.Strategies for Change
By Q2 in 2022 we had ICB VW leads who were able to drive the project forward.
By late 2022 the Provider Host for the VW project was announced.
Early 2023 the digital monitoring contract was made and Feebris engaged.
During this time a process of trying to bring together the main players continued (the Acute and Ambulance Trusts, OOH providers. Community and Primary Care to ensure that the service was going to be provide for the needs of patients and providers.
Progress so Far
Step Up VW design in place, ACP led, Community delivered, using same digital monitoring hub as Acute VW (integrates with SystemOne) Pathways - acute Respiratory, Frailty and Heart Failure integrated into Place based teams and services and embedded into the UEC pathway.
New relationships and interdependencies with Ambulance Trust, Acutes and Regional Leads for VW.
Lessons Learnt
Developing a joint VW hub was difficult – but developing the joint ethos / working and drive more difficult. A focus shift from tasks to developing a shared vision may have helped.
Conflicts of interest: DF,HS & CW all work for Norfolk Community Health & Care.
DF is also the ICB Respiratory Clinical Adviser
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