About the Virtual Ward

The Virtual Ward provides hospital-level care to people in their place of residence. It provides ongoing monitoring, support and access to specialist health care professions to patients with a variety of condition who do not clinically require care within a hospital setting.

Patients receive regular contact with nursing, pharmacy, and medical staff via regular phone calls and/or video conferencing to monitor their symptoms, progress and wellbeing. Regular monitoring ensures that people who become more unwell can be reviewed by a nurse or doctor and transported to hospital if required.

Your care in the Virtual Ward

We are committed to working with you and your family to develop the right plan for your care.  We want you to feel comfortable and cared for during your stay with us. It is your right as a patient to take part in all decisions about your care.

We welcome your involvement by:

  • asking questions about anything you don’t understand
  • let us know what is important to you in your care
  • giving us feedback on how we can provide better care for you. All staff are part of your care team and are here to help.

What is Informed Consent

Before a doctor, nurse or any healthcare practitioner can examine or treat you, they usually need your consent or permission. This could simply mean following their suggestions, such as the doctor asking you if they can take your blood pressure and you position your arm so they can do the task. Sometimes, depending on the seriousness of the proposed treatment or procedure or if it involves an anaesthetic they will ask you to sign a consent form. If you later change your mind, you can withdraw that consent, even if you have signed a form.

Queensland Health provide a range of resources on Informed Consent.

The Charter describes what consumers, or someone they care for, can expect when receiving health care.

These rights apply to all people in all places where health care is provided in Australia. This includes public and private hospitals, day procedure services, general practice and other community health services.

Find out more at the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality on Healthcare.

Ryan’s Rule is a three step process to support patients of any age, their families and carers, to raise concerns if a patient’s health condition is getting worse or not improving as well as expected. Ryan’s Rule applies to all patients admitted to any Queensland Health public hospital—including the virtual ward.

Find out more about Ryan’s Rule and the steps involved.

Feedback about your care

We are always looking for ways to improve our services to ensure our patients and their families receive the best healthcare possible. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of our service and ensuring we remain focused on what matters most – caring for our patients.

All compliments will be provided to the relevant areas and any suggestions will be taken to the appropriate forum for consideration. All complaints regarding healthcare provided will be investigated and you will be informed of any action taken.

To leave your feedback, please complete this feedback form on the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) website, and specify the Virtual Ward. RBWH will ensure your feedback is forwarded to Virtual Ward staff if appropriate.