A Paediatric Virtual Ward welcomed its 1000th at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust  treated in early May.

The programme first launched in March 2022 as a pilot and was the first of its kind in the NHS and the country.

It is estimated that the ward has saved over 1,945 bed days since it opened.

The team now has seven members of staff, with twelve patients being able to be treated on the virtual ward at any time.

Recently, the team were also attendees at the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in recognition of the work they have done.

The team has shared their expertise with other NHS trusts, as well as interested parties from the US and Australia.

Diane Wake, chief executive at the Dudley Group said “We are incredibly proud of our paediatric virtual ward and its achievements since launch. Receiving so much recognition for the innovations it has bought to healthcare across the NHS is well deserved and we’re proud to be at the forefront of utilising technology to improve patient care.”

A parent, whose son is a patient on the virtual ward said, “The Paediatric Virtual Ward is fantastic! I was so worried about taking my son home from hospital after being on oxygen, however the virtual ward let me check he was okay at home and stopped me worrying. Without this service we likely would have been back to the GP or Hospital. It allowed us to have peace of mind and we also had a great night’s sleep at home!”