“Life-changing” services marks milestone of care

Maria Hicklin, whose two young sons Roman, aged seven, and Ricco, aged two, have both battled respiratory conditions, knows firsthand the benefits of the Paediatric Virtual Ward delivered at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust.

The service has treated over 2,000 children with 143 of these being via direct access to the virtual ward, effectively saving 3,800 bed days and making a cost saving of over £1.7 million.

Maria, from Oldbury, explained how it has helped her two boys: “The virtual ward service has transformed our experience and saved us money. We’ve had minimal hospital admissions and the medical team provides home visits, monitoring equipment, and offers continuous support.

“They’ve even helped build my confidence in administering medication. The team comes out within an hour if we need help, and they know the boys by name. Roman and Ricco are now comfortable and less anxious about their medical conditions.

“It’s a stark change from previous winters. Every cold and flu season, we were constantly rushing to A&E. It was destroying our family. My partner was marked as unreliable at work because of our constant hospital visits, and we were financially and emotionally exhausted.

“Roman is also autistic, and this made hospital visits even more traumatic. He wouldn’t eat hospital food, and the constant needles and medical procedures were overwhelming for him.”

Maria frequently recommends it to other parents struggling with similar medical challenges. “When I explain how it works, other parents can’t believe the level of support,” she added.

NHS England introduced virtual wards to allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most.

Dr Maria Atkinson, Consultant Paediatrician, said: “Our virtual ward allows us to provide acute medical care directly in patients’ homes, reducing the stress of hospital admissions and keeping families together during challenging medical periods.

“Roman has had a particularly challenging medical journey, having first contracted COVID-19 and then developed severe asthma and pneumonia, leading to repeated hospital visits. His younger brother Ricco suffers from viral-induced wheeziness, which added to the family’s medical challenges.

“This isn’t just about saving money. We’re providing personalised, compassionate care that keeps children in their home environment through admission avoidance, and by facilitating a reduced length of hospital stay this can support the entire family.”

The Trust’s paediatric virtual ward treats a range of conditions, including asthma, bronchiolitis, and jaundice. It represents a new model of paediatric care that prioritises patient comfort and family support. The service was nominated for the 2024 Nursing Times’ children’s services award, and its asthma project has been highlighted both regionally and nationally.