Ireland’s first surgical virtual ward has freed up more than 160 urology bed days in its first six months. St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) launched its virtual ward pathway for urology in September 2025. Early results show the initiative has delivered significant benefits for patients and the hospital.

The pathway allows suitable urology patients to complete part of their post-operative recovery at home instead of in a hospital bed. It provides hospital-level monitoring at home, with full consultant oversight, twice-daily virtual reviews and consultant-led daily assessment, and the option of rapid return to SVUH if required, without having to attend the emergency department. The virtual care model is available to a broad range of urology patients, including those with urinary infections, catheter and stent placement, and recovery following common urological surgeries such as transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT), transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and ureteroscopy.  

Figures released by the hospital show that the virtual urology pathway has resulted in shorter inpatient recovery times, reduced post‑operative length of stay, and fewer urology patients having to attend the emergency department. The initiative has also delivered measurable system improvements, including freeing up 162 urology bed days. The impact supports the expansion of the model across other surgical specialties.

Collaboration

The urology pathway was developed through a collaboration between SVUH, the Office of the Chief Clinical Officer and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland’s (RCSI’s) National Clinical Programme in Surgery, and is now being considered as a model for wider national adoption. 

SVUH Clinical Director of Surgery David Mulvin said: “This is a significant development in how we deliver surgery in Ireland. The virtual ward with a surgical urology pathway allows patients to recover safely at home under continuous consultant oversight, while also freeing vital acute beds for emergencies and planned theatre activity. It improves patient experience and supports a more efficient surgical service.”

Prof Eamonn Rogers, Co-Lead of the National Clinical Programme in Surgery at the RCSI, said: “What SVUH has achieved with this surgical urology pathway is genuinely impressive. It sets a new benchmark for how digital innovation can enhance surgical care while maintaining the highest clinical standards. This is the kind of forward-thinking model our health service needs and SVUH is leading the way. It is a major milestone for surgical practice nationally.”

SVUH operates a broader virtual ward service across cardiology, respiratory, general medicine and urology. Since July 2024, more than 1,300 patients have been cared for through the virtual ward model.

A good experience

The HSE National Virtual Ward Programme, which was launched in July 2024 at SVUH and University Hospital Limerick (UHL), has gone from strength to strength. 

Since the UHL ward opened on July 1, 2024, a total of 1,128 patients have been onboarded, saving 10,603 inpatient bed-days across several medical and surgical referral pathways. Based on feedback, patients are very happy, rating the experience as ‘very good’, and awarding an average 4.8 out of five for patient safety.

Virtual ward patients take home a technology kit, including a tablet and medical diagnostic equipment that links the patient with the central hub in UHL, allowing for 24/7 monitoring. Average length of stay among patients in the programme is approximately six to seven days. Once discharged from the virtual ward programme, patients return the kit to UHL via registered post. 

The initial success at UHL has driven expansion of the referral pathways to include general medicine, respiratory-asthma, respiratory supplementary oxygen, minor stroke/TIA, and gynaecology. In addition, an orthopaedic post-operative knee and hip pathway is operated in conjunction with Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, and a virtual respiratory service is provided for St John’s Hospital in Limerick. Discussions are ongoing to build new patient specific pathways.

Chief Director of Nursing & Midwifery for HSE Mid West Acute Hospitals, Ber Murphy, said: “The Acute Virtual Ward is a very safe and effective way for caring for patients in their home. We’re pleased to hear the positive feedback from Margaret and all patients referred to the ward. It’s proven to be a very empowering option for patients of all ages. There are obvious advantages for home-based treatment, especially for older people who live a distance from the hospital. Over the lifetime of the service we’ve steadily increased the number of pathways, and we’ll continue to use and expand this important service, with an ongoing increase in patient-specific pathway development.”