Home care provider is the first to take part in an innovative care model aimed at rethinking healthcare

An award-winning home care provider has announced a groundbreaking pilot which will make medical support more accessible to clients. In turn, this will help minimise hospital admissions and reduce pressure on NHS services.

Right at Home GF is the first social care provider to adopt a revolutionary new partnership with Virtue Health. Virtue Health has created a ‘hospital-at-home’ service that allows homecare clients access to services and consultancy for a variety of health conditions. The service is accessed and delivered remotely via phone or online.

The initiative will see Right at Home invite 15 clients who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), recurrent respiratory infection (RRI), asthma, and/or heart-related conditions such as heart failure and atrial fibrillation (AF) to take part and experience this new way of managing their condition and receiving care.

Everybody who is selected for the pilot will be given 12 months’ free access to cutting edge technology which will enable them to monitor and record their vital signs and symptoms. This will include a Vital Signs equipment pack for the measuring of heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and temperature with clinically validated accuracy.

The client or their carer will record their results on a simple to use patient app so that Virtue clinicians can see the data during any patient consultation. This can help clinicians proactively identify potential health issues before they become severe and to respond with timely treatment. Participants will be supported to set up the devices if they need help.

The 15 selected clients will also have access to a clinical phone helpline which will provide them with 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. As and when required, the team will be able to prescribe medicine which will be delivered to the client’s doorstep.

Alastair Shanks, Managing Director of Right at Home GF says: “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.”

Right at Home GF’s Head of Compliance, Claire Skilton adds: “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, A&E 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.”

If required, clients can be moved to an Acute Virtual Ward This is a paid for service designed to help clients avoid hospital admission or facilitate early discharge.

Commenting, Alastair Shanks says: “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 is aiming to sign up the first cohort of participants in March. Anybody who is interested in finding out more about the initiative or services provided by Right at Home can call 01252 783426. Alternatively, clients can go directly to the client services helpline at Virtue Health on 0121 816 0425 to speak with the clinical team or visit the website www.virtuehealth.co.uk for further information.