Virtual Ward shortlisted for national finance award

Congratulations to the Virtual Ward and Finance teams who have been shortlisted for a national award recognising the value they are delivering with digital technology.

Our Trust is in the running to win a National Healthcare Finance Award 2022, run by the Healthcare Finance Management Association (HFMA).

The awards, which will be held next month (8 December), celebrate innovation and excellence in healthcare finance and NNUH is shortlisted in the Delivering Value with Digital Technology Award.

Since the formation of the NNUH Virtual Ward at the beginning of 2021, more than 1,000 patients have been able to go home earlier whilst being remotely monitored and having regular contact with a clinician, which has saved more than 1,600 hospital bed days in a year. Over 95% of patients who responded to Friends and Family Test surveys said they were extremely satisfied with their care on the Virtual Ward and would recommend it to a family member.

Liz Sanford, NNUH Director of Finance – Operations, said: “We are delighted to be one of only four organisations shortlisted for this national healthcare finance award. The benefits of the Virtual Ward from a patient experience point of view are clear and Tricia Cook and Jack McIntyre of our Finance Team worked as part of the multi-disciplinary team to develop the financial case, demonstrating the costs of a virtual bed as being 66% less than those of a physical bed.”

Dr Ed Prosser-Snelling, Chief Digital Information Officer, said: “Our Virtual Ward has been shortlisted for both quality and financial awards, recognising how this innovation is at the forefront of acute step-down virtual wards.  Today we are caring for 38 patients remotely, in a hospital which has traditionally been regarded as digitally immature.  I am immensely proud of the virtual ward team and delighted with the collaboration of the finance team.  This shortlisting again underlines the value for money that our Virtual Ward model presents for both the hospital and the wider healthcare system in Norfolk.”