Current Landscape and Challenges:
Virtual care is rapidly evolving from targeted innovation programmes into a foundational component of NHS service delivery. Virtual wards, hospital at home, remote monitoring and digitally enabled outpatient pathways are now recognised as critical tools for improving patient flow, managing hospital capacity and delivering care closer to home.
Over the past three years, the NHS has expanded virtual ward capacity significantly, with more than 12,500 virtual ward beds operational across England. However, the focus of national policy is now shifting from expansion targets toward sustainability, clinical outcomes and integration into routine care pathways.
Alongside virtual wards, NHS organisations are increasingly developing virtual hospital models, enabling specialist teams to deliver acute-level care remotely through digital monitoring, multidisciplinary teams and coordinated community services.
Looking ahead, the NHS is preparing for a broader phase of digitally enabled care delivery, including the development of NHS Online services expected from 2027, designed to expand digital access to clinical care, remote consultations and integrated monitoring across pathways.
Despite strong policy support and rapid growth, many NHS organisations are now facing the practical challenges of embedding virtual care into everyday operations.
Key challenges include:
- Integrating remote monitoring data into existing EPR and community systems.
- Developing safe escalation pathways between home, community and hospital teams.
- Ensuring workforce confidence and capability in hybrid care delivery models.
- Designing clinically safe virtual hospital models for higher acuity patients.
- Demonstrating measurable impact on admissions avoidance, length of stay and patient outcomes.
- Addressing digital inclusion and equitable access to remote care services.
As virtual wards evolve into broader virtual care systems, NHS leaders must now move from implementation to optimisation, governance and long-term service sustainability.
Summit Focus:
CareAnywhere 2026 brings together NHS leaders delivering virtual wards, hospital at home services and digitally enabled care pathways to explore how virtual care can become a sustainable and integrated component of NHS service delivery.
Building on recent operational guidance and national evaluation activity, the summit focuses on the practical realities of running safe, scalable virtual care services, including governance frameworks, workforce models, interoperability and pathway design.
The conference is designed to move beyond policy discussion and into practical delivery, giving delegates the opportunity to explore tested service models, digital enablers and workforce frameworks already supporting virtual care across NHS systems.
Through skill clinics, deep dives and peer learning sessions, attendees will gain actionable insights into how organisations are successfully embedding virtual care across acute, community and primary care settings.
Learning Outcomes & Key Takeaways:
- How to design integrated virtual care pathways across hospital, community and home settings.
- How to transition from virtual ward pilots to sustainable virtual hospital models.
- How to operationalise interoperability between remote monitoring platforms, EPRs and community systems.
- How to build workforce capability and confidence in hybrid clinical environments.
- How to embed governance, clinical safety and escalation frameworks within virtual care delivery.
- How to measure outcomes, productivity and patient experience in digitally enabled care pathways.
- How to ensure virtual care services remain inclusive and accessible across diverse patient populations.
Why Attend:
- Earn 8 CPD Points by attending
- Build professional confidence in delivering hybrid models of care.
- Learn directly from NHS leaders implementing virtual care at scale.
- Access practical frameworks for governance, workforce readiness and digital integration.
- Understand how virtual care fits within wider NHS transformation priorities.
- Take away implementation tools and service design insights for local deployment.
- Join a growing NHS community shaping the future of virtual healthcare delivery.
