Hospital at Home and
virtual hospitals
within the NHS

From 13 to 15 January 2026, Dialog Health accompanied a French delegation to London for a study mission dedicated to new models of Hospital at Home (HaH) and virtual hospitals, organised in partnership with the ANAP.

This study tour was part of a broader approach to analysing and capitalising on international best practices, at the heart of the National Health Service (NHS). Its objective was to gain a deeper understanding of how virtual wards and hospital-level care at home are structured, governed and deployed at a territorial level across the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is widely recognised as a pioneer in Hospital at Home, supported by its public healthcare system, the National Health Service NHS, which enables the experimentation and scaling of innovative models of care.

In response to increasing pressure on hospitals and an ageing population, Hospital at Home has been developed to reduce hospital congestion, deliver more personalised care, and improve the overall efficiency of healthcare services. The integration of telemedicine and remote monitoring technologies has played a key role in this evolution, while the focus on preventive care and public–private funding models has supported the expansion of HaH services. The UK has also played a major role in research and evaluation of these models, demonstrating their effectiveness across a range of contexts and reinforcing its position as an international reference.

Objectives focused on organisational analysis
The study mission aimed to provide the French delegation with an operational understanding of British models: analysing governance frameworks, understanding care pathway organisation, identifying the roles of different professionals, and examining how digital tools are integrated into everyday practice.
The focus was on identifying performance drivers, deployment conditions, and key points of attention to inform the strategic thinking of French stakeholders involved in the development of Hospital at Home services.

Field visits with an operational focus
The site visits formed the core of the mission, enabling a progressive immersion from national policy perspectives to operational feedback from healthcare providers. Delegates met with teams from NHS England and visited several emblematic organisations, including the St Charles Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital and Watford General Hospital.

Each visit combined institutional presentations, discussions with medical, nursing and managerial teams, and dedicated Q&A sessions. These exchanges made it possible to observe the concrete implementation of virtual wards, hub and spokeorganisational models, and coordination mechanisms between hospitals, community services and medico-technical actors.

A mission built around professional exchange and dialogue
Beyond the site visits, the mission was designed as a structured professional exchange. Discussions with national leaders and local teams encouraged open dialogue around successes, limitations and challenges encountered in the deployment of hospital-level care at home.