CUH virtual ward at home: Information about the wearable devices

What is the virtual ward?

Virtual wards bring our hospital into your home.

The virtual ward allows suitable patients to get the care they need safely and conveniently at home, rather than being in hospital. This leaflet tells you, your family and/or carers how we are going to do this.

Every patient has an individual, personalised, virtual ward care plan designed to meet their specific care needs.

Who works on a virtual ward?

The core team includes, your doctor, a lead nurse, a team of experienced nurses, a pharmacist and allied health professional, such as, physiotherapy, speech and language, dietetics, and occupational therapists.

How shall I manage at home with the wearable monitoring devices?

The following advice will help you to keep safe and be carefully monitored:

• Always keep Bluetooth active on your phone so that the information is sent directly to the hospital for the nurses to see.
• Do not delete the monitoring app until you are discharged from the virtual ward.
• Ensure your phone is always charged and has sufficient battery power.
• You can take a shower or bath with the temperature monitoring device on your chest.
• Remove the monitoring device from your hand when you take a shower or bath.

The thermometer (radius T) you are wearing on your chest lasts for seven days. After seven days, you will need to have a new thermometer applied if you are still on the virtual ward.

The heart rate and oxygen monitor (PPG) that you are wearing has a microchip and a battery. The battery lasts for four days. After four days, the battery strap needs to be changed, but you do not have to do anything on the phone. Remove the chip in the battery and insert it into the new battery for automatic connection to the phone. The nurse will demonstrate this during the on-boarding process.

If the light on your device flashes red, immediately call the virtual ward team on 01223 806 806.

For any any other concerns, please call the virtual ward team for assistance.

More information is available on our website: MyChart

Contacts/further information

Masimo - Masimo SafetyNet - Getting Started (opens in a new tab)

Welcome to the virtual ward at Cambridge University Hospitals