When Diana Tifrea became unwell one Sunday afternoon, she knew something was not right. She felt numbness on the left side of her face and in her left arm. Feeling worried, she went straight to the Emergency Department at St Luke’s Hospital.
Because her symptoms could have been a stroke, Diana was seen immediately. Doctors carried out tests to find out what was wrong. Thankfully, they soon ruled out a stroke. However, Diana still felt very unwell. She had a bad headache that would not go away, no matter what she tried.
Later that day, doctors were concerned that it might be meningitis. Diana had a CT scan and was admitted to the hospital that night so more tests could be done.
Over the next few days, Diana had several tests, including an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture. Doctors started treatment while they waited for the results. By Tuesday morning, Diana received some great news - it was not meningitis. However, the MRI showed very tiny areas of bleeding on her brain. These were very small, but doctors needed to be extra careful and check further to make sure Diana was safe.
Diana stayed in hospital from Sunday until Wednesday. She really wanted to go home, but the staff felt it was important that she continued to be monitored. On Wednesday afternoon, the hospital team spoke to her about another option - the virtual ward.
“I was over the moon,” Diana says. “It meant I could go home but still be looked after.”
The virtual ward allows patients to leave the hospital earlier and continue their care in their home setting. Healthcare staff monitor patients remotely using simple technology. For Diana, this was a huge relief. Without the virtual ward, she may have had to wait months for follow-up tests as an outpatient.
Before Diana went home, the team explained everything clearly. She was given a tablet, a blood pressure monitor, and a thermometer. The staff showed her exactly how to use them.
“It was so easy,” Diana explains. “Everything was explained step by step. Anyone could use it.”
On her first morning at home, Diana began by filling in a short questionnaire on the tablet. She submitted two questionnaires each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and answered questions about how she was feeling compared with the day before. She took her vital signs using the devices, which sent the information straight to the healthcare team via Bluetooth. If anything changed, the team knew straight away.
“If I even said my headache was a bit worse, a nurse would call me straight away,” Diana says. “I felt very supported.”
Diana feels the care she received at home was just as good as that in hospital.
“The nurses in hospital are very busy. At home, I knew someone was there just for me.”
Being at home also made a big difference to how Diana felt. She has two young children, aged two and four. Being away from them for the first time was very hard.
“The moment I stepped back into my home, everything felt better,” she says.
When Diana was well enough to leave the virtual ward, the team collected the equipment from her home. She also received a clear discharge letter explaining her care and what to do next.
Now fully recovered, Diana is grateful for the experience.
“The virtual ward was a game-changer for me,” she says. “I hope more people get access to it. It’s an amazing service that really helps patients recover at home.”