Telemedicine, such as remote imaging, enables services to be provided by staff not present with the patient. This can enable centralisation of specialist services where it is not viable to have specialists in all locations.

Models of telehealth are improving and the mechanisms by which people can avoid hospital admissions are well understood. Telehealth prevents hospital admissions and identifies when patients could potentially enter critical care settings. Smaller ICUs link to specialised centres on a hub-and-spoke model for people already in the system (virtual wards). This affects the demand for A&ICM for patients admitted to hospital through an acute route.

Proposed workforce impact

• The number of consultants would not need to increase to reach rural locations and small hospitals as they can work remotely across a number of locations.
• Consultants would need to have skills and competencies to enable effective remote-based work to be carried out.

Sources or references

• www.gov.uk/government/news/telehealth-trial-shows-early-success

Additional research questions

• Will telemedicine be widely adopted in the new more locally autonomous NHS?
• Does it provide the same high-quality care which is safe, effective and provides good patient experience?

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.