Ken McDonald
Cardiologist and Clinical Lead, HSE National Heart Programme
Since June 2024, eligible cardiac patients who require in-patient acute care can now avail of a HSE Virtual Ward where they will receive the same expert clinical care and support in the comfort of their homes.
Eligibility for Virtual Wards is determined once a patient is deemed clinically stable and low-risk by their consultant, amongst other factors.
Connected cardiac care with Virtual Wards
Virtual Wards have evolved from pressures healthcare systems face in unscheduled care — pressures which increased during the pandemic. For some patients, monitoring by clinical teams harnessing technology can now offer a safe and preferable alternative to hospital admission.
Central to Virtual Wards is the empowerment of patients to be active partners in managing their health and wellbeing. Jim Murphy (60s) from Limerick had a history of irregular heartbeat. Six months ago, his GP referred him to a specialist who carried out an angiogram.
Murphy shares: “They found that I had a blockage in one of my arteries, so I was admitted to University Hospital Limerick for a stent. I was in overnight, and the nurse contacted me offering the Virtual Ward service. They provided all the equipment — a table, a device to monitor blood pressure, my oxygen — it was all connected by Bluetooth and recorded on the tablets. The nurses would message me before they called. We would have a consultation via video call, and they could examine the surgery wound. It was all very well-connected and responsive.”
The new Virtual Ward service
has now supported over 170
patients in the participating hospitals.
Advancing digital healthcare
The new Virtual Ward service has now supported over 170 patients in the participating hospitals (St Vincent’s University Hospital and University Hospital Limerick) and will continue to grow in the coming weeks.
The new Virtual Wards service marks a new and exciting phase of the digital transformation of our health service in line with ‘Digital for Care’ the new Digital Health Framework for Ireland, recently published by the Department of Health. Digital for Care sets out how we can harness the power of digital technology to improve patient access, increase efficiency and ultimately provide better health outcomes and experiences for everyone.
