An article in the Health Service Journal reports that virtual ward costs are about double the costs of inpatient stay. These are the findings of a study at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, in Greater Manchester, carried out with Lancaster University.
According to the report:
- Virtual wards cut length of stay, but readmission rates rose;
- For a 40-bed virtual ward, study found costs were double that of traditional inpatient care
The study found a clear reduction in length of stay but also found higher rates of readmission for patients in the virtual ward. The authors said this led to additional costs, with the cost of a bed day in the virtual ward estimated at £1,077, compared to £536 in a general inpatient hospital bed.
The full report can be found here.