Virtual Ward Beds Significantly Reduce Carbon Footprint Compared to Traditional Inpatient Beds

A groundbreaking study has revealed that virtual ward beds, also known as 'hospital at home,' emit four times less carbon than standard inpatient hospital beds. This discovery could be a key step towards achieving the NHS’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Published in the open-access journal BMJ Innovations, the research highlights the environmental benefits of digital healthcare models, which utilize remote monitoring and telemedicine to provide hospital-level care within patients' own homes.

The study analyzed data from May 2022 to May 2023 within a large acute hospital trust, assessing the carbon footprint of 1,260 virtual ward patients—including 728 frail individuals and 532 with respiratory infections. Using the Greener Care at Home toolkit, researchers quantified carbon emissions from various care activities, such as hospital visits, ambulance travel, diagnostics, and home energy use.

Results indicated that the average carbon emissions for one inpatient bed day were 37.9 kg CO₂, compared to just 8.8 kg CO₂ for a virtual ward bed day. Overall, avoiding traditional hospital stays for these patients resulted in an estimated 285 metric tons of CO₂ saved over the year. While this does not reduce overall hospital emissions—since hospital beds remain in use—it increases capacity by allowing more patients to be cared for with the same resources.

The findings underscore the importance of virtual wards in sustainable healthcare, aligning with NHS plans to expand virtual bed capacity to 40–50 beds per 100,000 population. The authors emphasize that virtual care does not eliminate hospital carbon emissions but enables higher patient throughput more efficiently and sustainably. Limitations include the lack of data on home energy use, relying instead on government estimates, and the inherent complexity of mapping individual care pathways.

In conclusion, virtual wards appear to be a promising strategy for hospitals seeking to balance increased patient care capacity with environmental sustainability. They offer a practical way to reduce the resource-intensive nature of traditional inpatient care, supporting the transition towards greener healthcare systems.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-virtual-ward-bed-carbon-traditional.html