Virtual ward rounds helping patients get home sooner following surgery

13 August 2026

An innovative approach to ward rounds at Abergele Hospital is helping orthopaedic patients receive timely consultant reviews following surgery while supporting them to return home safely and sooner.

The orthopaedic team at Abergele Hospital has been using Attend Anywhere technology to carry out virtual ward rounds for the past two years, enabling consultants to speak directly to patients and review their recovery using a laptop or iPad on the ward.

The technology, which is commonly used to support virtual consultations in primary and community care, allows patients to see and speak to their consultant the morning after their operation, with an experienced senior nurse present to carry out the clinical assessment.

The approach was introduced after orthopaedic consultants from Wrexham Maelor Hospital and Ysbyty Gwynedd began carrying out surgery at Abergele Hospital. With Consultants often needing to return to their main hospital site for operating lists, clinics and other clinical commitments the following day, virtual ward rounds ensure patients can still receive a timely review from their surgeon.

Ward Manager, Claire Bowen said the approach has worked particularly well for both patients and staff.

She said: “Our patients really value being able to see and speak to their consultant the day after their operation. It gives them that reassurance that their surgeon has received how they are recovering and they have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

“From our perspective on the ward, it means we aren’t waiting for a consultant to travel a significant distance back to Abergele before a patient can be received. We can have a laptop or iPad with the patient, carry out the assessment together and make sure everything is in place for them to go home safely after they meet the discharge criteria.

“We’ve been doing this for around two years now and it has become a really effective way of working. It’s good for our patients, it makes better use of our consultants’ time and it can also help prevent unnecessary delays to discharge.”

The team plans to continue and expand the use of Attend Anywhere when orthopaedic services transfer to the new North Wales Surgical Centre at Llandudno Hospital.

Claire added: “As we move to Llandudno, we want to increase the amount of surgery we are able to carry out as day cases, and this technology can really support us with that.

“Even when the Consultant has left the hospital to return to their other clinical commitments, we can continue to speak to them and review patients throughout the day and into the evening. That gives us more opportunities to safely discharge patients on the same day rather than them having to stay in hospital overnight.

“Ultimately, it’s about making the patient’s journey through hospital as smooth as possible while making sure they are completely safe and ready to go home.”

Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Oliver Blocker, based at Ysbyty Gwynedd said: “Our virtual ward round allows surgeons to continue with other essential clinical duties, such as operating lists and clinics, while still maintaining regular oversight of patients on the ward. It is a much more efficient use of consultant time without compromising the quality or safety of patient care.

“The success of the virtual ward round relies heavily on the experience of the ward team. Having a highly experienced senior nurse such as Claire leading the patient assessments means we can be confident that every aspect of a patient’s condition has been received, all discharge criteria have been met and any issues have been identified before a patient goes home.”