Extension of NHS 'virtual ward' scheme for children in England 'equivalent to 10,000 extra beds by winter'

Extension of NHS 'virtual ward' scheme for children in England 'equivalent to 10,000 extra beds by winter' A scheme which enables children to receive hospital level care at home for certain conditions will be extended to every region in England, the NHS has announced.

The virtual ward initiative - the largest of its kind in the world - was piloted in Blackpool, Dudley and Dorset, where it was used by 6,400 children.

People with respiratory illnesses such as asthma and heart conditions can be cared for at home under the scheme. Sky News