If you are a Queensland Health employee, please refer to the Metro North Virtual Ward Intranet Page (QH network only) available on QHEPS to access the internal referral form.
The Metro North Virtual Ward (VW) is an additional telehealth service that complements the current Virtual Emergency Department, Covid Virtual Ward, and Hospital-in-the-home services available within the Metro North Health region. Given the success of the virtual care model, the Metro North VW can now admit and manage patients with conditions other than COVID.
The VW can assist GP’s by providing an inpatient equivalent admission for eligible patients.
On admission patients will be provided with team-based care via regular phone calls and/or video consults. The ward is based at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, from 0700 to 1930, 7 days a week, with overnight access to medical support. The patients will have access to medical, nursing, pharmacy, and social work support.
What can Virtual Ward provide?
Monitoring determined by patient’s primary illness and co–morbidities.
Where required, patients will be provided with the following monitoring equipment free of charge and delivered to their home:
- Oxygen saturation probe
- Blood pressure monitor
- Thermometer
- Scales
- Facilitation of relevant investigations i.e.- Blood tests, medical imaging including MRI, ECG, Echo
- Facilitation of Specialist opinion
- Pharmacy review
- Referral to Allied Health
Which patients are eligible for admission to the VW?
Patients who require a brief period of monitoring and treatment which would otherwise require them to stay in hospital.
Patients at risk of deterioration, which if detected early, can be managed at home with the aim that hospital admission be avoided.
Patients where daily review in between planned GP review would be helpful.
Examples of conditions that may be suitable for admission include:
- COVID
- community acquired pneumonia, infective exacerbations of asthma and other chronic obstructive airway conditions
- infections including cellulitis, osteomyelitis, UTI
- severe hypertension without neurological red flags for short term monitoring, medication adjustment
- hyperglycaemia without ketoacidosis for short term monitoring, medication adjustment.
- electrolyte abnormalities requiring monitoring
- supratherapeutic INR for short term monitoring
- serendipitous lumps to expedite investigation and Specialist review.
How to refer your patients to VW?
Phone (07) 3074 2109 in hours (0800-1700hrs) or phone RBWH switchboard out of hours on (07) 3646 8111 and ask to speak to the Virtual Ward Consultant.
If your patient is accepted by the Virtual Ward Consultant please complete an electronic referral using Virtual Ward specific, Best Practice or Medical Director, referral templates which can be accessed from the Brisbane North PHN website.
How to monitor your patients progress?
You can review your patient’s daily progress via the Health Provider Portal/ Viewer.
A discharge summary will be sent at the end of the admission.
If you would like to contribute further information at any stage about your patient, please phone the Virtual Ward Consultant on (07) 3074 2109.
Medicare Note
As the patients are considered inpatients then the usual restrictions on access to Medicare rebates apply. It is not expected that you will be required to provide clinical services whilst they remain an inpatient.