DHU Healthcare’s Community Virtual Ward (CVW) in Derbyshire has been honoured at a prestigious national award ceremony.
The team received a Highly Commended honour in the Safety Improvement Through Technology category at the Health Service Journal Patient Safety awards for the work they've done developing new care pathways for patients who have fallen at home.
The team are at the forefront of providing urgent care to patients in their own home, preventing hospital admissions, empowering patients to take control of their condition, remain independent and recover in a familiar environment – one of the NHS Long Term Plan’s key ambitions.
It’s another incredible achievement; Emma Wardale is Clinical Lead for the service and said: “To be recognised by such an impressive institution and in such incredible company is an amazing acknowledgement of how far we’ve come in a relatively short space of time.
“We introduced our falls pathway last year and have looked after more than 1,500 patients since March 2025 who may otherwise have been taken to hospital. It’s about ensuring the patient gets the right care in a place that is right for them and for many, being in their own home, their own environment close to their friends and family is exactly that and we are able to make that happen.”
Neil Jones, DHU’s Virtual Ward Advanced Practitioner, added: “Being recognised by those outside of your area of care, by your peers is something very special and we’re incredibly proud of what we’re building here. The feedback we get from our patients, their families and carers as well shows that this model of care is exactly what’s needed.
“What we do aligns perfectly not only with national plans for care in the future, including community and alternative places of care, but also with DHU’s commitment to making healthcare more accessible, efficient, patient-friendly and collaborative with the wider health system. The Community Virtual Ward is a big part of that, and we’re excited to see where we can take it.”
The HSJ Patient Safety Awards, that took place at The Telford International Centre, recognises the people and organisations making a tangible difference to patient safety, quality and outcomes across health and care.
This recognition follows the team becoming finalists in the Care of the Elderly category at Nursing Times Awards as well as being shortlisted for their innovation at the Health Tech Awards, both to be announced later this year.