The Acute Hospital at Home (or virtual ward) team at the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is celebrating winning an HSJ Digital Award for pioneering a system to provide patients with 24/7 heart monitoring in the comfort of their own home. 

Patients are monitored using the latest 'wearable' tech that means that they can be at home, confident all is well and that they have access to help if they need it.  

The Acute Hospital at Home team has been named a winner in the ‘Optimising Clinical Pathways through Digital’ category because of the work. They have integrated the wearable ECG’s (heart monitors) with the Trust’s electronic patient record, enabling seamless continuous monitoring and faster diagnosis.  

This digital-first pathway means that patients can go home sooner, it reduces unnecessary admissions and invasive procedures and improves diagnostic accuracy.  

The judges were impressed by the impact and scalability of the innovation. This model sets a blueprint for safer, smarter, digitally enabled pathways across the NHS.  

Dr Simon Patten, Clinical Director of urgent and emergency care, said “Many of our patients tell us they would much rather receive this type of care than stay in hospital. In a rural area like ours, people often have work, family and caring responsibilities that can make a hospital admission particularly disruptive. 

“These wearable devices allow patients to remain at home, close to their loved ones and connected to their everyday lives, while still receiving rapid diagnostics, expert monitoring and the right treatment at the right time.” 

Professor Adrian Harris, Chief Medical Officer for Digital, Research and Transformation at the Royal Devon, said, “This national recognition demonstrates how we’re leading the way to drive digital innovation that improves patient care. Congratulations to the Acute Hospital at Home team on their well-deserved win”. 

This award underscores Royal Devon’s role as a digital leader within the NHS and wider healthcare community, and highlights the importance of innovation, collaboration, and digital transformation to improve patient care.