New evaluation sheds light on virtual wards in Birmingham and Solihull
A new study by the Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) Evaluation Service has provided timely insights into the early implementation of virtual wards (VWs) across Birmingham and Solihull, identifying critical enablers – as well as barriers – to their success.
Commissioned by University Hospitals Birmingham and led by researchers at the University of Birmingham’s Department of Applied Health Sciences, the evaluation explored virtual wards introduced under the NHS England VW programme – focusing on services supporting patients with frailty, respiratory conditions, recent surgery, and musculoskeletal issues, with a detailed analysis of the respiratory VW designed for early supported discharge of COPD patients.
The study comprised four distinct workstreams: qualitative research to understand the factors influencing VW design and development; surveys and interviews to recognise the experiences and perspectives of staff; evaluation of patient outcomes; and a health economics analysis to assess the cost-effectiveness of the respiratory VW vs usual care.
Key findings highlight the importance of consistent referral pathways, the urgent need for interoperable IT systems, and the value of digital tools tailored to varying levels of patient literacy and connectivity. The report also stressed the need for more staff training, clearer communication with patients and carers, and greater involvement of frontline staff and patients in shaping future services.
While the health economic analysis showed promise, it also exposed significant data gaps – including length of stay and readmission rates – that need to be addressed to fully assess the cost-effectiveness of virtual wards.
Dr Ian Litchfield, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, said:
“Virtual wards offer an exciting opportunity to deliver care more flexibly and closer to patients’ homes. But for them to work at scale, we need to move beyond enthusiasm and address the real-world challenges around infrastructure, communication, and equity. This evaluation is a first step towards designing services that truly meet the needs of patients and staff alike.”
The findings will inform future development of virtual ward models, not only in the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System but across the wider NHS landscape.
The report can be downloaded from https://www.birminghamhealthpartners.co.uk/for-researchers/evaluation-service/
It also appears in the Journal of Medical Internet Research – https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e75406
ENDS
The Birmingham Health Partners Evaluation Service was established in 2022 to provide time-sensitive, formative evidence on innovations in healthcare and capacity building. It carries out rapid and effective service evaluations, often running in parallel with service implementation; helps spread learning to other sites; and helps build local capacity for in-house evaluations.