News alert / Virtual wards target met
The NHS succeeded in rolling out 10,000 virtual ward beds by the end of September, according to figures released by NHS England. More than 240,000 patients have now been treated at home after NHS teams introduced 10,421 virtual ward beds for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or frailty conditions. The ambition was delivered despite considerable pressure on urgent and emergency care, with A&E attendances in September up almost 8% on the same month last year, and continuing industrial action.
Related content
Where does a finance professional start on their journey to finding greater value from digital innovations?
Productivity gains could be made by the NHS by standardising back-office IT, but standardising processes should come first.