Milestone for virtual wards as thousands are cared for

MORE than 12,000 patients have now been supported by Swansea Bay's virtual wards service.

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The service was initially set up as a pilot project in November 2021 but proved so successful that it was later rolled out with a virtual ward now running within all eight Local Cluster Collaboratives.

Virtual wards provide wraparound support in the community to people with complex health and social needs. Rather than a ward being made up of hospital beds, the patient's own bed becomes part of a virtual ward, meaning they still receive face-to-face care but in the comfort of their homes.

A multidisciplinary team made up of health and care professionals, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and therapists, discuss how to plan and manage each patient's care, ensuring face-to-face assessment and intervention is completed.