The role of virtual wards in maternity in the United Kingdom.
Story L., Nana M., Hall M., Fitzgerald A., Brockwell G., Oteng-Ntim E., Clarke S., Challacombe F., Nelson-Piercy C., Shennan A.
Virtual wards are an initiative which aims to provide hospital care from the comfort of the patient's own home. Monitoring and additional services, such as intravenous drugs and fluids and blood tests can be undertaken through this system. Although virtual wards have been used in the UK since 2005 in specialties such as General Medicine, General Surgery and Paediatrics, their use in maternity has been more limited. This article aims to review their current use in the UK and beyond as well as to discuss some of the advantages and challenges they may pose to a maternity population.