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Virtual Ward and Urgent Community Response Capabilities Framework

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Virtual Ward and Urgent Community Response Capabilities Framework

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NHS England commissioned Skills for Health to develop a core skills and capabilities framework for urgent community response and virtual wards. This framework is key to informing workforce education, training and career progression as well as informing local workforce models.

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In response to the pandemic, there has been a period of rapid innovation and transformational change in service delivery. Virtual wards and Urgent Community Response amongst others have formed part of this.

Virtual wards

A virtual ward is a safe and efficient alternative to NHS bedded care that is enabled by technology. Thousands of people across England are already benefitting from being treated at home on a virtual ward. This innovative approach is delivering high quality care, safely and conveniently for people at home - where they would rather be.

Virtual wards should be led by a named registered consultant practitioner i.e., doctor, nurse, allied health professional or primary care GP with knowledge and capability in the relevant specialty or model (frailty and respiratory care).

Urgent community response

Two-hour urgent community response teams provide assessment, treatment, and support to people over the age of 18 in their own home or usual place of residence who are experiencing a health or social care crisis, and are at risk of admission or re-admission to hospital within the next two to 24 hours without intervention to prevent further deterioration and to keep them safe at home. Assessment and care should start within two hours of the referral being made, with short-term interventions typically lasting under 48 hours. Teams are expected to work in an interdisciplinary way, and often consist of registered nurses, advanced clinical practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, support staff, social workers and paramedics, with support from other relevant professionals.

Virtually all parts of England are providing 2-hour UCR twelve hours a day, 7 days a week with ongoing scaling and workforce development taking place to ensure consistency and improve the quality of UCR services to achieved expected impact for patients and services. The ambition is that every patient across England can expect the same access to care, in line with clinical conditions set out in national guidance, and that referring services such as ambulance teams provide support available via UCR.

Purpose and Scope of the Framework

To support our workforce to develop and build confidence and capability to provide safe and quality services, NHS England commissioned Skills for Health to develop a core skills and capabilities framework for urgent community response and virtual wards. This framework is key to informing workforce education, training and career progression as well as informing local workforce models.

The framework provides a standard and greater clarity on the scope of practice for nurses, allied health professionals and support workers in multi-disciplinary teams working within virtual wards and urgent community response teams in the community.

This framework builds on existing good practice and sets out the core skills and capabilities for health and care professionals working in these teams. The framework describes the new skills and capabilities required to enable effective and efficient use of new technologies and digitalisation.

Structure of the Framework

The framework contains 11 core capabilities, common to the delivery of high quality, personalised care in the virtual ward and within urgent community response services; 4 capabilities specific to the delivery of care within urgent community response services, and 4 capabilities which relate specifically to the delivery of care within the virtual ward.

Download the Framework
Click here to download the Framework
Registration of interest

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Core Capabilities Framework for the workforce supporting Virtual wards - Skills for Health

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In response to the pandemic, there has been a period of rapid innovation and transformational change in service delivery. Virtual wards and Urgent Community Response amongst others have formed part of this. A virtual ward is a safe and efficient alternative to NHS bedded care that is enabled by technology.

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Guidance on selecting and procuring a technology platform

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Guidance on selecting and procuring a technology platform

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This guidance supports integrated care systems (ICSs) leads and providers to consider key requirements when selecting and procuring a technology platform for a virtual ward, and to develop a specification for a system-level virtual ward. It includes an example specification that can be tailored to meet local needs.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Improving the digital literacy of the workforce

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Improving the digital literacy of the workforce

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A series of resources to support developing a digitally literate health and social care workforce for today and the future

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Health Education England | Digital Transformation

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As technology is evolving rapidly, we want the health and social care workforce to be fully capable, confident, and motivated in its use in the workplace. To achieve this, we need to develop a digitally literate health and social care workforce for today and the future.

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Improving the digital literacy of the workforce | Health Education England

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As technology is evolving rapidly, we want the health and social care workforce to be fully capable, confident, and motivated in its use in the workplace. To achieve this, we need to develop a digitally literate health and social care workforce for today and the future.

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British Geriatrics Society - Virtual Wards and Hospital at Home for older people

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British Geriatrics Society - Virtual Wards and Hospital at Home for older people

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A paper summarising the current landscape from the perspective of healthcare for older people and providing advice for people looking to set up Virtual Wards for older people living with frailty

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Virtual Ward Community of Practice Resources

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Virtual Ward Community of Practice Resources

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Recordings and slides from NHS England's virtual wards weekly community of practice webinar. These sessions are open to all clinicians, wider virtual ward teams, ICS, and regional colleagues with an interest in virtual wards

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Innovation Collaborative guidance on business cases

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Innovation Collaborative guidance on business cases

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This suite of guidance documents form part of a business case pack which includes training sessions, guidance documents, templates and resources on business cases for digital health technologies.

The guidance has been developed to support local teams to better understand business cases and are adopted from national best practice guidance including, NHS Digital Business Case Template, HM Treasury The Green Book and the HM Treasury Guide to developing the project business case.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Innovation Collaborative guidance on benefits and health economics

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Innovation Collaborative guidance on benefits and health economics

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Suite of guidance documents on benefits realisation and health economics

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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NHS England Transformation Directorate guidance on DTAC

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NHS England Transformation Directorate guidance on DTAC

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The Digital Technology Assessment Criteria for health and social care (DTAC) gives staff, patients and citizens confidence that the digital health tools they use meet our clinical safety, data protection, technical security, interoperability and usability and accessibility standards.

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Digital Technology Assessment Criteria (DTAC)

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NHS Transformation Directorate - transformation to improve health and care for everyone

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NHS Digital guidance on the DCB0129 clinical safety standard

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NHS Digital guidance on the DCB0129 clinical safety standard

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Prepared by the NHS Digital Clinical Safety team, this standard is designed to help manufacturers of health IT software evidence the clinical safety of their products

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About this information standard

This standard provides a set of requirements suitably structured to promote and ensure the effective application of clinical risk management by those organisations that are responsible for the development and maintenance of Health IT Systems for use within the health and care environment.

The standard includes implementation guidance and is supported by the related standard for the application of clinical risk management in the deployment and use of Health IT Systems - DCB0160.

This information standard is published under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012. An Information Standards Notice (see below) provides an overview of scope and implementation timescales, and the other documents provide further detail for those who have to implement the information standard.

October 2020: Update: Confirmation from the NHS Digital Clinical Safety Group that this has returned to business as usual activity.

Last edited: 27 May 2022 2:03 pm

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DCB0129: Clinical Risk Management: its Application in the Manufacture of Health IT Systems - NHS Digital

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This standard provides a set of requirements suitably structured to promote and ensure the effective application of clinical risk management by those organisations that are responsible for the development and maintenance of Health IT Systems for use within the health and care environment.

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NHS Digital guidance on the DCB0160 Clinical Safety standard

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NHS Digital guidance on the DCB0160 Clinical Safety standard

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Prepared by the NHS Digital Clinical Safety team, this standard is designed to help health and care organisations assure the clinical safety of their health IT software

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DCB0160: Clinical Risk Management: its Application in the Deployment and Use of Health IT Systems - NHS Digital

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Prepared by the NHS Digital Clinical Safety team, this standard is designed to help health and care organisations assure the clinical safety of their health IT software

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Innovation Collaborative guidance on Clinical Safety

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Innovation Collaborative guidance on Clinical Safety

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DCB 0129 and DCB 0160 standards (issued by NHS Digital) require manufacturers of Health IT systems and deploying healthcare organisations to carry out a risk assessment of a product. Use the slides and links here for information on the DCB 0129 and DCB 0160 standards and conformance.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Community of Practice Session - Digital Clinical Safety for Virtual Wards

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Community of Practice Session - Digital Clinical Safety for Virtual Wards

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This session discussed the importance of digital clinical safety and the resources available to comply to safety requirements.

Speakers:

Andy Carr - Clinical Safety Officer, NHS Digital

Rudi Redford-Brown - Safety Engineer, NHS Digital

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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NHS England Transformation Directorate guidance on Virtual Wards Information Governance

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NHS England Transformation Directorate guidance on Virtual Wards Information Governance

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Information governance (IG) is all about how to manage and share information safely and securely. This guide covers IG in virtual wards

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Virtual wards allow people to get the care they need at home, safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital.

If you are cared for in a virtual ward, relevant confidential patient information will be used and shared with those directly involved in caring for you. This may include staff in hospitals, community teams, care homes and GPs. For example, a registered nurse monitoring your health and care measurements which could include blood pressure, pulse, temperature and oxygen levels. This will enable the nurse to make an assessment of your current health and wellbeing and whether any changes to your care are needed. If you are in a virtual ward for COVID-19, your information may be shared to help manage the pandemic.

Virtual wards can use remote monitoring technology such as apps and medical devices to assess your health while you are cared for at home. For example, you may be asked to wear a pulse oximetry device on the end of your finger to check your oxygen levels. Technology providers will need to use confidential patient information such as your oxygen level or blood pressure readings in their systems, to allow your care team to observe your readings.

Any use of confidential patient information is strictly restricted and under the control of the NHS. Technology providers must go through a rigorous approval and assurance process to ensure that health and care data will be managed securely, appropriately and legally, before they are permitted to access it. They also can't use the information for any purpose other than supporting the virtual ward.

As your data is being shared in order to provide you with care, your consent is implied and you do not need to give it explicitly. If you have concerns about your information being shared as part of a virtual ward, then you should speak to those caring for you.

To find out about how your information will be used and shared, you can look at your health and care organisation's privacy notice. If, for example, you are invited by your GP practice to be part of a virtual ward, you could look at your GP practice's privacy notice on their website or ask the receptionist to see a copy.

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Virtual wards allow people to get the care they need at home, safely and conveniently, rather than being in hospital. If you are cared for in a virtual ward, relevant confidential patient information will be used and shared with those directly involved in caring for you.

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Elearning for healthcare information sharing programme

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Elearning for healthcare information sharing programme

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The information sharing elearning programme includes advanced information governance training for frontline staff working in health or social care who need to share confidential information as part of their jobs.

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This programme is in partnership with...

About the information sharing programme

The information sharing elearning programme includes advanced information governance training for frontline staff working in health or social care who need to share confidential information as part of their jobs. It is not for information governance professionals. Before taking the session, you should have completed the Data Security Awareness (DSA) Level 1 training or equivalent.

By the end of the session, you should feel confident about using and sharing information for care and other purposes. Each session should take just 20 to 30 minutes to complete.

This programme includes 2 information sharing sessions:
* Information sharing: advanced information governance for staff working in adult social care
* Information sharing: advanced information governance for frontline staff

Staff only need to take one of these sessions.
Information sharing: advanced information governance for staff working in adult social care
This interactive training will help you understand the principles behind information sharing and how to apply them in a wide range of practical social care work settings and scenarios. It will ask when and how you would share information in a wide range of practical scenarios featuring social workers, registered care managers, occupational therapists and other care colleagues. You will learn when it's safe to share information; when you should check before sharing; and who you should check with.

The I nformation sharing: advanced information governance for staff working in adult social care session can be found a t: https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Component/Details/790456
Accessing the session if you work in social care
You can access the session free of charge even if you do not work for an NHS organisation and / or do not have an NHS email address. You will need to register with the elfh Hub at https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Register and complete all the registration fields. Enter your email address and confirm. On the following screen, 'Registration/About you' select 'None of the above apply to me' and press CONTINUE. On the next screen, 'Registration details', if you cannot find your job role in the choices under Your Current Role, Job Role (Staff Group), please type "other" into the box and select that option. If you cannot find your place of work within the list, please select "Unknown location". The session is free of charge.
Information sharing: advanced information governance for frontline staff working in health care
This session is for frontline and admin staff in health care who are responsible for sharing confidential information as part of their jobs. It will help you to understand the principles behind information sharing and how to apply them in practice. It will ask when and how you would share information in a wide range of practical scenarios featuring GPs, nurses, midwives, practice managers, admin staff and other colleagues. The correct courses of action are explained along with the reasons behind them.

The Information sharing: advanced information governance for frontline staff session can be found at: https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Component/Details/750310

Meet the team

Health and Care Information Governance Panel

Andi Blackmore, Programme Manager, HEE elearning for healthcare

Chris Wood, Project Manager, HEE elearning for healthcare

Alan Campbell, Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare

Lyndsey Callion, Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare

Catherine Moran, Graphic Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare

Louise Garrahan, Senior Marketing and Communications Officer, HEE elearning for healthcare

Stephen Gibbons, Learning Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare

Robin Lewis, Graphic Designer, HEE elearning for healthcare

How to access

In order to access any elfh programme, you will need an elfh account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below.
Register >
To view the Information Sharing programme, select the View button below. If you already have an account with elfh, you will also be able to login and enrol on the programme from the View button.
View >
If you already have an account with elfh, then you can enrol on to the Information Sharing programme by logging in to the elfh Hub, selecting My Account > Enrolment and selecting the programme. You can then access the programme immediately in the My eLearning section.

NHS healthcare staff in England - ESR

The Information Sharing programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this e-learning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.

If you do not work for an NHS organisation

If you do not work for an NHS organisation, you can still access the session for free by registering with the elfh Hub. You will need to complete all the registration fields. If you cannot find your job role in the choices under Your Current Role, Job Role (Staff Group), please type "other" into the box and select that option. If your place of work is not recognised within the list please select "Unknown location".

Open Athens

You may also be able to access the session via OpenAthens. To check whether or not you qualify for free access via OpenAthens, you can view the eligibility criteria and register on the ' OpenAthens ' portal.

Registering large numbers of users

If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Information Sharing programme, please contact elfh directly or send an email to support@e-lfh.org.uk .

Organisations wishing to use their own LMS

For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest or send an email to support@e-lfh.org.uk .

More information

Please select the following link for more information on how to use the elfh Hub.

elfh is a Health Education England programme in partnership with the NHS and professional bodies

© elearning for healthcare 2023

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Information Sharing - elearning for healthcare

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This programme is in partnership with... The information sharing elearning programme includes advanced information governance training for frontline staff working in health or social care who need to share confidential information as part of their jobs. It is not for information governance professionals.

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The virtual ward clinical summits offers clinicians and wider teams involved in delivering virtual wards an opportunity to share and accelerate learning and best practice.

The summits aim to:

- Spread the experience and expertise of teams already successfully delivering virtual wards
- Build community through connecting clinical leaders and colleagues across all stages of the system for implementation
- Support clinical leaders and colleagues to rapidly deliver virtual wards through the sharing of knowledge and best practice
- Centre patient and carer experience in the process of change
- Encourage the active consideration of health inequalities and digital exclusion in the development and delivery of virtual wards

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Virtual Ward National Business Case Template

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Virtual Ward National Business Case Template

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A draft virtual wards business case template

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Innovation Collaborative resources on Inclusive Digital Transformation

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Innovation Collaborative resources on Inclusive Digital Transformation

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A library of useful links, resources and case studies to support health and care systems in working with wider stakeholders to co-design health and care services that are digitally enabled

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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HETT Whitepaper - Are you thinkingabout expandingvirtual wards inyour ICS?

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HETT Whitepaper - Are you thinkingabout expandingvirtual wards inyour ICS?

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This white paper aims to detail the current landscape (published Aug 2022) and to share insights into the reality of delivering and scaling virtual wards across ICSs

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Digital Inclusion Health Inequality Pioneers Case Studies

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Digital Inclusion Health Inequality Pioneers Case Studies

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Through the Adoption Fund, the Digital Inclusion Health Inequality Pioneers programme was undertaken with 10 ICS partners and a Subject Matter Expert organisation, Thrive By Design. The ICS’s benefitted from a learning programme and tailored coaching, alongside running specific projects in their area to understand the barriers to creating digitally equitable pathways at ICS level. They explored what tools, knowledge and guidance were needed and how to plan for change.

Case studies were produced by each ICS area showcasing their work and the challenges and lessons from the implementation of their projects.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Virtual Wards Clinical Summit - Starting with people: engagement, co-production, and evaluation with patients and carers

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Virtual Wards Clinical Summit - Starting with people: engagement, co-production, and evaluation with patients and carers

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In this session, panellists discussed the importance of looking at patient and carer experience in evaluations and working with patients to influence implementation and service design.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Virtual Wards Clinical Summit - Using evaluation to inform service design and shape implementation

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Virtual Wards Clinical Summit - Using evaluation to inform service design and shape implementation

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This session looked at how evaluations can be used inform service design and shape implementation. Nicola Chicken from YHAHSN presented on the resources they developed to support the development of virtual wards and embed evaluation within services for continuous improvement.  Jim McDonald covered the work in Black Country to embed continuous evaluation into the ICS, what co-benefits they have been able to pull out of the evaluations and how this is being used to inform planning.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Virtual Wards Clinical Summit - Designing a virtual ward evaluation and methodologies

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Virtual Wards Clinical Summit - Designing a virtual ward evaluation and methodologies

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In this session, panellists discussed how to design an evaluation for virtual wards and the different methodologies that can be used including discussing how to secure buy-in, key principles to consider, and how to identify meaningful metrics.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Community of Practice Session - Considering sustainability and carbon impact in virtual wards

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Community of Practice Session - Considering sustainability and carbon impact in virtual wards

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This session discussed the upcoming Greener NHS guidance on how to estimate and reduce the carbon impact of virtual ward pathways, as well as sustainability in virtual wards more broadly.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Community of Practice Session - Considering health inequalities in virtual wards

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Community of Practice Session - Considering health inequalities in virtual wards

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This session focused on considering health inequalities in virtual wards. There was a presentation on the work taking place in South West London to create a dashboard to monitor virtual wards activities across demographic groups. Attendees also hear from Bola Akinwale on the national approach to tackling health inequalities and how this applies to virtual wards.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.

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Community of Practice Session - Workforce design

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Community of Practice Session - Workforce design

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This pre-recorded session looked at workforce design for virtual wards. The first presentation from Roz Campbell outlined the virtual wards workforce design document. The second presentation from Lily Bliss explored how the South East Region has undertaken workforce planning for virtual wards.

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We are a collaboration platform empowering everyone working in health and social care to safely connect, share and learn across boundaries. Be part of a FutureNHS.