Sir, – While the introduction of virtual wards may seem futuristic for many (“Patients to be treated at home in virtual wards”, News, December 4th), it is worth highlighting an established programme which since 2013 has allowed thousands of patients in Ireland to receive hospital-level treatment at home.
This unsung hero is outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) which allows patients to receive intravenous antibiotics at home instead of in hospital. Through OPAT, patients with certain infectious conditions can either self-administer intravenous antibiotics or have these given by nurses in the community, being followed weekly in a specialised infectious diseases clinic. This allows patients to regain their independence more quickly, avoid hospital-acquired infections and recover at home with the support of family, all the while resulting in huge savings for the health service.
Over the last 10 years, almost 300,000 bed days have been saved in Ireland thanks to OPAT, representing an estimated saving of over €180 million to the HSE. – Yours, etc,
Dr RALPH HURLEY O’DWYER,
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Infectious Diseases Registrar,
Mater Misericordiae University Hospital,
Dublin 9.