A home care provider has announced a groundbreaking pilot scheme to make medical support more accessible to its clients, minimise hospital admissions and reduce pressure on NHS services.

Right at Home Alton and Bordon is the first social care provider to partner with Virtue Health, which has created a ‘hospital at home’ service allowing home care clients access to services and consultancy for various health conditions on the phone or online.

The initiative will see Right at Home invite 15 clients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, recurrent respiratory infection, asthma, heart failure or atrial fibrillation to experience this new way of managing their condition and receiving care.

Everyone selected will get a year’s free access to technology enabling them to monitor and record their vital signs and symptoms, including a vital signs equipment pack to measure heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and temperature with clinically validated accuracy.

The client or their carer will record their results on a patient app so Virtue clinicians can see the data during consultations, helping them identify issues before they become severe and respond with treatment. Participants will get help to set up the devices if needed.

The 15 clients will have access to a clinical phone helpline which will give them up to 12 consultations per year with an advanced nurse practitioner. The service provides a broad range of clinical advice and guidance addressing concerns that may be related to urgent or non-urgent symptoms, existing medical conditions, and medications, including new concerns. The team can prescribe medicine to be delivered to the client’s doorstep.

Right at Home managing director Alastair Shanks said: “I am really excited by the opportunity that technology is providing for home care teams to work with virtual ward teams on revolutionising how healthcare services are delivered.”

Claire Skilton, Right at Home’s head of compliance, added: “Healthcare is about getting the best outcomes for patients, and with this initiative clients will receive peace of mind from knowing their health is being continuously monitored and that someone is readily available to talk to them about any health concerns.

“By offering preventative and early intervention care, this proactive approach aims to reduce pressure on NHS services, including GPs, accident and emergency departments, and hospital wards.

“It also means clients have the reassurance of knowing they can stay at home for longer, which we know is what they want.”

Clients can be moved to an acute virtual ward, a paid-for service designed to help them avoid hospital admission or facilitate early discharge.

Alastair Shanks said: “The acute virtual ward is another initiative which keeps people in the comfort of their home for longer and decreases the need for urgent care visits and unplanned hospital admissions.

“This also frees up hospital beds for those with the most critical needs, improving overall healthcare efficiency and resource allocation.”

Right at Home aims to sign up its first cohort of participants in March. For more information call Right at Home on 01252 783426, call Virtue Health on 0121 816 0425 or visit www.virtuehealth.co.uk