NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) is creating a "virtual hospital" to support patients in their own homes.
The health board has announced plans to introduce a virtual hospital in partnership with Doccla, a company that already provides virtual care solutions to NHS Lanarkshire and other trusts in England.
The initiative aims to improve patient care by reducing admissions and shortening hospital stays where appropriate.
It is also hoped it will increase capacity and flow through NHSGGC hospitals for patients with the most urgent needs, and for those who require in-person care.
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Doccla's technology is designed to allow for continuous remote patient monitoring and clinician interventions where necessary.
Patients are supplied with wearable devices that record measurements like blood pressure, enabling health professionals to make remote observations.
The technology also asks patients to fill in health questionnaires.
A call would then be made to them, or a community team would be deployed, if the technology identifies a problem.
Scott Davidson, medical director of NHSGGC, said: "The introduction of new virtual wards in Greater Glasgow and Clyde will allow us to deliver safe, compassionate care to many patients from the comfort of their own home.
"We know that many patients would rather be cared for at home than have to travel to or spend lengthy periods in hospital and this will allow us to provide appropriate care to them remotely.
"It will mean they can avoid or have a shorter hospital stay than previously would have been the case."
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Denise Brown, director of digital services at NHSGGC, said: "The partnership we have agreed with Doccla is an important and exciting step forward.
"It will allow us to deliver the right care in the right place for our patients, helping us to transform and develop our NHS now and into the future.
"The 1,000 virtual bed hospital will be embedded within our planned Flow Navigation Centre +Plus, and it will reshape health across the Greater Glasgow and Clyde system."
Dag Larsson, chief executive officer of Doccla, said: "Our partnership with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde marks a major milestone in the evolution of virtual care.
"Together, we are laying the foundation for the hospital of the future—digitally enabled, patient-focused, and built around delivering care where it’s needed most.
"This collaboration reflects our shared ambition to unlock the full potential of virtual healthcare across Europe, starting with meaningful impact for patients in Scotland."
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