An NHS team from Kent is celebrating national recognition after winning a prestigious NHS award for their work transforming the way patients receive care at home. 

Last night at NHS ConfedExpo in Manchester, Medway NHS Foundation Trust took home the Delivering Value Award, one of the ten brand-new NHS Excellence Awards, for its innovative SMART Acute Virtual Hospital — a service that is safely treating more patients at home with the help of technology. 

The SMART Acute Virtual Hospital allows people who would otherwise need a hospital bed to receive hospital level care in the comfort of their own home, supported by remote monitoring, daily virtual ward rounds, and rapid escalation pathways when needed. The model is helping patients recover faster, avoid unnecessary admissions, and stay connected to their families and support networks. 

Since launching, the service has enabled Medway to care for more patients than ever before outside of a traditional ward, reducing pressure on hospital beds and improving patient experience. In just three months, the service saved almost 5,000 bed days saved and created capacity equivalent to 54 inpatient beds per month. 

Many patients report feeling more confident, more independent and less anxious when recovering at home, while still receiving the same level of clinical oversight. 

Anne Eden, Regional Director for NHS England South East, said: “Congratulations to Medway NHS Foundation Trust on this well-deserved national recognition. Their SMART Acute Virtual Hospital is a brilliant example of the 10-Year Health Plan in action — shifting care from hospital to home, improving patient experience and delivering better value for the NHS. This is innovation with real impact and is helping to really transform the way we care for patients and deliver improvements, and I’m delighted to see it celebrated on the national stage.” 

The inaugural NHS Excellence Awards celebrate outstanding work improving care for patients and communities across the health and care system. Medway’s win was decided by a panel of national leaders following a rigorous regional judging process. 

Siobhan Callanan, Interim Chief Executive, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We are extremely proud that our Virtual Hospital has received this national recognition. We have transformed the model of care and worked very hard to develop this service and are committed to its continued expansion so that even more patients in future can receive acute care in the comfort of their own homes, rather than in hospital. This is truly a team effort, with colleagues from various disciplines working together to care for patients remotely, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” 

The SMART Acute Virtual Hospital is one of many examples of how teams across the South East are transforming access to care and helping to shift care from hospitals into the community – meaning patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time, while easing pressure on hospitals.