Diabetes virtual ward: helps people control their blood glucose and avoid or reduce time in hospital

For many people living with diabetes, a hospital stay or GP appointment isn’t always the end of the story. Even after treatment, there’s a risk of landing back in hospital or needing a doctor again, often for preventable reasons. Hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, poor glycaemic control and lower limb complications are all common reasons why patients may need clinical attention, as well as those who have been newly diagnosed and struggling to adapt.

Each of these situations can be frightening for patients, and they place real pressure on hospital teams. Without the right support after discharge, it’s all too easy for the same problems to happen again.

That’s why Leicester introduced its Clinitouch-powered diabetes virtual ward for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. It’s designed for people who’ve recently visited their GP, emergency departments or have been admitted to hospital with diabetes-related complications, giving them specialist follow-up at home. The goal is simple: stop the cycle, help people get back on track, and keep them out of hospital in the future through a simple app.

Aims & Objectives

• To enable safe, supported discharge from hospital for diabetes patients
• To avoid hospital admissions and re-admissions
• To provide patient centred care for diabetes patients
• To use technology to support diabetes patients at home

How it works

Once a patient has been identified, the virtual ward steps in. Instead of heading home with just a follow-up appointment weeks away, they get daily oversight from a specialist diabetes team, all from the comfort of their own home.

Patients are set up with Clinitouch, a simple-to-use app for remote patient monitoring. Using a tablet or their own device, they record blood glucose readings, blood pressure, weight, and answer a short questionnaire about their signs and symptoms which is then sent to the diabetes team to review.

Behind the scenes, Clinitouch’s system risk scores each update, displaying each response on a simple clinician dashboard.

Green means all is well, amber means something isn't quite right, and red indicates that same-day clinical intervention is required. If something does not look right, such as glucose levels creeping up or a worrying symptom appearing, the specialist nurse gets in touch straight away to provide the appropriate care.

Dr Noel O'Kelly, Medical Director at Clinitouch, explains how the diabetes virtual ward gives patients more choice when it comes to their care:

"Patients opting for the virtual ward can be monitored in the comfort of their own home and receive the support they need from a specialist diabetic nurse.”

The impact

For patients, the virtual ward has meant patients feel more confident in managing their diabetes at home, and as a result don't need as many return visits to their GP or hospital. They know someone is keeping an eye on their readings and will step in if needed, often at the first sign of deterioration before it gets worse.

For the diabetes team, the impact has been just as important. They can be more proactive with patient care, rather than just reacting to emergencies and complex complications. They have more oversight over their full caseload, and can prioritise patients based on clinical need, helping to ease capacity concerns.

Over time, this approach is helping to break the cycle of discharge, complication, and readmission.

As NHS teams look for ways to ease pressure on hospitals, this diabetes virtual ward model offers a practical route forward. It keeps patients safe, supports recovery at home, and frees up vital capacity for those who need it most.