“"Our local Hospital at Home team do an amazing job to help ensure that patients, who in the past would have to be come into hospital, are able to remain in their own homes and access the specialist clinical care and support they require. This expansion will ensure more patients across Forth Valley are able to remain at home while still receiving the specialist clinical care and treatment they require. We know that many people recover better at home and the feedback we have received from previous patients and families has been overwhelmingly positive as they really appreciate being able to stay in familiar surroundings at home, close to their family, friends and pets. Having extra capacity in the Hospital at Home service will not only avoid hospital admissions but also support discharge arrangements for patients who require follow up clinical care at home."
NHS Forth Valley Expands Hospital at Home Services
New respiratory virtual ward and additional beds aim to enhance patient care and ease pressure on hospital services across the region.
By Kirsty Lennox
••3 min read
AI
A hospital at home room with medical equipment in a comfortable domestic setting, overlooking a Scottish landscape.
NHS Forth Valley is enhancing its Hospital at Home services, allowing more patients to receive specialist hospital-level care within their own residences.
NHS Forth Valley is extending its Hospital at Home services, enabling a greater number of local residents to receive safe, specialist, hospital-level care within their own homes. This initiative is designed to alleviate pressure on local hospital services, increase capacity within the healthcare system, and ensure more people can access hospital-level care in familiar surroundings when it is deemed safe and appropriate.
The expansion introduces a new 10-bed respiratory virtual ward to manage patients with acute respiratory conditions, such as complications or flare-ups of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), pneumonia, flu, RSV, and acute asthma. Additionally, five new OPAT (Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy) beds will deliver intravenous or complex antimicrobial treatments at home, and capacity for older people in the Hospital at Home service will increase from 25 to 30 beds.
This development aligns with the Scottish Government's objective to boost Hospital at Home and virtual ward capacity throughout Scotland, facilitating greater access to acute care at home while reducing strain on hospital facilities. The Hospital at Home service offers short-term, targeted acute clinical care for individuals who would otherwise require hospital admission or who can be discharged earlier with continued specialist home support.
Patients under this service remain under the care of clinical teams, with access to monitoring, diagnostics, treatment, and clinical review tailored to their specific needs. The new respiratory virtual ward will cater to patients with respiratory conditions manageable at home, while the increased capacity for older adults will support frail individuals requiring acute care. The additional OPAT beds will allow eligible patients to receive intravenous antimicrobial therapy at home, supported by a dedicated OPAT Specialist Nurse and the Older Adult Hospital at Home team.
By optimising existing resources and fostering collaboration across respiratory, older adult, and OPAT pathways, NHS Forth Valley is expanding its virtual bed capacity. This is being done with a continued emphasis on safe, person-centred care and the efficient utilisation of hospital resources.
The introduction of new respiratory and OPAT Hospital at Home services highlights the commitment, innovation, and adaptability of local staff working collaboratively across different services to ensure patients receive necessary care in the most suitable setting. Enhancing the Hospital at Home capacity for older individuals will also address growing demand while upholding a focus on safe, high-quality care.
Based on information from the official source: NHS Forth Valley (05/10/2026)
