Virtual wards for children with cancer launch in Leeds

Remote patient monitoring provider Inhealthcare has partnered with Leeds Children’s Hospital to launch virtual wards for paediatric oncology patients, enabling children with cancer to receive care and monitoring at home.

The virtual ward began as a pilot in October 2023 and transitioned to the Inhealthcare digital platform in October 2024.

The platform allows children to be discharged earlier from hospital while receiving close monitoring and clinical support from specialist healthcare teams.

Dr Susan Picton, consultant paediatric oncologist at Leeds Children’s Hospital, said: “We developed virtual wards for paediatric oncology because many families were spending long periods of time in hospital when potentially they could go home with parents taking some observations themselves, reducing their children’s length of stay.

“These children were almost ready for discharge but needed a few days of monitoring.

“This makes a big difference to them – if they were coming in every three weeks for chemotherapy, another five days on the ward is a long time.”

Through a smartphone app, parents submit daily information about their child’s condition, which healthcare professionals review remotely, enabling interventions when necessary.

Its features including secure messaging, photo-sharing capabilities, and alter thresholds that notify clinicians immediately of concerning symptoms.

Lily Soanes, aged 12-years-old ,who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in December 2024, has been among the first patients to benefit from the service.

Her mother, Jodie Soanes, described the positive impact of the virtual ward: “I’m glad we had the opportunity available to us.

“Seeing Lily at home and the difference it made, seeing her smile as soon as she came home… being in our own surroundings made such a difference to her recovery and wellbeing.”

Feedback from families has been positive, according to Inhealthcare, with respondents finding the virtual ward service helpful and recommending it to others.

Families also report feeling confident caring for their child at home while knowing the virtual ward team is reviewing them daily.

Jamie Innes, product director at Inhealthcare, said: “We’re incredibly proud to support this innovative virtual ward at Leeds Children’s Hospital.

“Our technology is designed to bring healthcare closer to home, and there’s perhaps no more meaningful application than helping children with cancer spend more time with their families while still receiving expert clinical monitoring and care.

“The results we’re seeing demonstrate how digital solutions can transform healthcare delivery while prioritising patient comfort and wellbeing.”

Inhealthcare also says that the service has proven beneficial for staff, with team members at Leeds Children’s Hospital reporting the virtual ward improves their workload management and daily operations.

Meanwhile, in December 2023, Inhealthcare won the NHS contract to scale up virtual wards across Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.