Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is to expand its remote monitoring service for heart failure patients across south, west and north Norfolk.
The community trust, working with health tech supplier Inhealthcare, has supported patients in Norwich, and now plans to widen the service, with funding provided by Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System.
The service provides extra support to newly referred people with the long-term condition, allowing patients to monitor their vital signs at home and relay readings via a choice of communication channels.
Since the service has been live in Norwich, early benefits indicate a reduction in hospital bed days, A&E attendances, GP visits and out-of-hours appointments. A further evaluation of the service will be carried out to focus on health improvements and hospital admissions.
As part of the service, the trust provides patients with equipment including blood pressure monitors, weighing scales and pulse oximeters.
Rhona Macpherson, Lead Heart Failure Nurse at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, said: “We are expanding the service because it has been successful and we have found it to be very useful in making sure every patient has a care plan that is right for them. It gives extra support to patients at home and gives us the ability to monitor them very closely while promoting self care. Our NHS colleagues across Norfolk are keen to get involved.”
Bryn Sage, Chief Executive at Inhealthcare, added: “We are delighted to be helping Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust to provide remote monitoring services to more patients with heart failure. The service will cover a large geographic area and will reassure people at home they are being looked after at all times.”
