9 October 2025
Robotic pets comfort Bedford care home residents with dementia
Bedford-based care home residents are reaping the benefits of robotic therapy pets. Hepworth House Residential Care Home has 15 residents and since April 2025, two…
Home >> news >> Doccla virtual monitoring enables patient care to continue at home
The Doccla Virtual Ward system helps to relieve the pressure on our hospitals and primary care services by reducing A&E attendances, and GP contact time, while ensuring that patients remain under the close care of clinicians.
Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Foundation Trust (CCS), which is part of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Care Partnership (BLMK HCP), commissioned the virtual ward system in January 2021 for respiratory patients in Luton to support chronic disease management and long-term oxygen therapy.
They have now extended the service to help patients living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), heart failure and diabetes to enable them to be safely monitored by clinicians from home using a Doccla kit.
A Doccla kit is tailored according to a patient’s condition and which healthcare pathway they are on. A patient receives a pre-configured mobile phone with the Doccla app. A patient’s kit is then completed with the necessary medical devices for their pathway such as weighing scales, a blood pressure monitor, pulse oximeter and a thermometer. Patients receive training to use this straight forward equipment for as long as the patient needs it.
The difference Doccla can make
Using Doccla, a 59-year-old man with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) w as able to reduce his hospital admissions completely. Over the previous nine months, he had been admitted 18 times and had six visits to A&E.
By being able to submit his own daily readings as reviewed by the Clinical team the patient had greater peace of mind and confidence in the guided self-management of his condition supported by telephone and face to face contact by the Respiratory team.
Eleanor Lyon, Lead Respiratory Nurse, Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Foundation Trust (CCS), said:
“The use of Doccla remote monitoring has allowed the team to deliver the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service during difficult times and stopped the need for visits to drop off and collect equipment. This has saved valuable clinical time.
“We have been able to detect early concerns with patients and we have been able to identify abnormal blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation remotely and act on this promptly. This in return has avoided deterioration in health”
9 October 2025
Robotic pets comfort Bedford care home residents with dementia
Bedford-based care home residents are reaping the benefits of robotic therapy pets. Hepworth House Residential Care Home has 15 residents and since April 2025, two…
2 October 2025
Digital tool improves mobility and balance in people at risk of falls
The largest real-world evaluation of GaitSmart, an AI-driven digital tool for people with gait (walking pattern) and mobility issues across four sites in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton…
2 October 2025
Asthma inhaler project scoops prize at NHS awards ceremony
A revolutionary project which has improved care for asthma patients whilst also reducing emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and saving money was among the winners at an NHS awards ceremony.…
30 September 2025
Chief Executive appointed to lead new ‘Central East’ ICB cluster
Jan Thomas, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care Board, has been appointed as the Chief Executive of the ‘Central East’ Integrated Care Board (ICB) cluster. …
29 September 2025
Staff with almost 500 years’ NHS service are celebrated at awards ceremony
17 staff who have worked in the NHS for a combined total of nearly 500 years were congratulated and thanked for their long service at an event this week. The…
29 September 2025
New hub unveiled in Luton as vaccination drive begins
A new NHS health hub has opened in Luton to allow residents to get vaccinated, as the drive to encourage seasonal jabs gets underway. The Bury Park Health Hub, located…