BORDERS health bosses have rubber-stamped funding of £1 million on the second stage of a virtual ‘Hospital at Home’ programme.

The virtual ward model was based on monitoring patients in their house, with regular clinical follow-up and access to specialist advice.

NHS Borders said keeping patients in their own homes helped to prevent ‘deconditioning’.

A programme pilot was launched in April 2023 and the team behind it gained national recognition.

Members of Scottish Borders Integration Joint Board have agreed to fund the delivery of the second stage of the virtual Hospital at Home programme at a cost of £1 million over 18 months.

The funding will facilitate the necessary development, staffing, training and resources required to refine the virtual model, boosting its long-term viability.

Laura Jones, director of quality and improvement at NHS Borders, said the programme “breaks down the barriers between traditional health care settings and the local community”.

“The service has person-centred care at its core, and patient and staff feedback demonstrates the positive impact being cared for in your own home has on patient care and well-being,” she said.

“In addition to the direct benefits for patients and staff, virtual care helps reduce reliance on inpatient care and treatment which in turn will reduce occupied bed days, length of stay and readmission rates which have a positive impact on flow through our acute and community hospital settings.

“For the Health and Social Care Partnership to truly transform there needs to be some fundamental changes to the model of delivery for both acute and community-based services. Our vision is to seamlessly integrate community-based clinical care, creating a connected and convenient system that brings care directly to people’s homes.”