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Solent set to pilot virtual wards for Portsmouth and Southampton patients

Solent NHS Trust is proudly embarking on trialling digital technology for patients across Portsmouth and Southampton with frailty needs, delivering high quality, personalised care at home and helping reduce hospital admissions.

The six-month pilot is set to start in January 2023 and sees Solent collaborate with digital partner for virtual wards, Doccla, who will provide various healthcare remote monitoring devices such as blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters, tailored to each patient’s clinical requirements.

The pilot will focus on people aged 18 and over with suspected or known frailty, who are admitted on to the programme once they have been assessed by the Trust’s urgent response teams.

Throughout the virtual ward, Doccla will deliver key functions, including providing software through a mobile app, clinical dashboard and devices (tablets and medical) corresponding to the pilot participants. Each patient will be closely monitored by Solent and Doccla clinicians, receiving daily review, and having their treatment adjusted where needed - all from the comfort of their own home environment.

Chief Medical Officer at Solent NHS Trust, Dan Baylis, said: “We are really excited to be piloting this type of virtual wards in Portsmouth and Southampton with the digital expertise of Doccla.

“Virtual wards, running across the country, provide a suitable and safe alternative to hospital care. The use of technology is largely untapped to date in terms of this patient group, so we welcome the learnings and findings that this pilot will bring to help develop and enhance our care for those in our communities, helping them to keep out of hospital wherever possible.”

Doccla Chief Medical Officer, Dr Greg Edwards, said: “Doccla is proud to commence this pilot with Solent NHS Trust and we look forward to delivering virtual ward technology to Portsmouth and Southampton residents. Virtual wards support people to remain out of hospital and deliver immense benefits to the health service.”

Should this pilot be successful, it is hoped to roll the offer out wider to more Portsmouth and Southampton patients in the next year.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

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pals@solent.nhs.uk

0800 013 2319

*Lines are open Monday to Friday 10am – 4pm.

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The Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.

Email: InformationGovernanceTeam@solent.nhs.uk

Phone: 0300 123 3919

*Subject to any exemptions which apply, we are obliged to provide the information requested please note that requests for Personal Information is not covered under this Act and should be applied for through the Data Protection Act 1998.

Our administrative and managerial centre is based in Southampton.

While our services can be found around various NHS locations in Southampton and Portsmouth (and surrounding districts), our administrative and managerial centre is based in Southampton at:

Highpoint Venue
Bursledon Road
Southampton
SO19 8BR

If you require a printable version of how to find us including bus times, car access and bike info please download our leaflet. (Copyright of Highpoint Venue).

Central office phone: 0300 123 3390

*Lines open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

If you are a journalist with a media enquiry, please contact the Communications Team at:

communications@solent.nhs.uk

0300 123 4156 or 02381 031076

The Communications Office is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.