82% of colleagues who completed our latest DHU People Survey said they would recommend DHU Healthcare if a family member needed care and treatment.
Earlier this month, our Director of Urgent and Emergency Care in Derbyshire, Kirsty Osborn, experienced that care first-hand with her dad, Ian Potter, following a diagnosis of pneumonia.
After being assessed at Chesterfield Royal Hospital’s Emergency Department, Ian was considered medically fit to continue his recovery at home - supported by DHU Healthcare’s Virtual Ward team, with monitoring, advice, and support only a phone call or visit away.
It’s a great example of how NHS care is continuing to evolve around people’s needs - helping patients recover safely and comfortably at home where appropriate, while keeping hospital beds available for those who need them most.
It also reflects how DHU is at the forefront of direction set out in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan and the three big shifts in healthcare:
🏠 Moving care from hospital to home
📱 Making better use of digital care and monitoring
❤️ Focusing more on prevention and early intervention
Kirsty said: “Seeing the Virtual Ward service support my own dad this week really brought home the impact our teams have. Being able to recover safely at home, with expert support only a phone call away, is making all the difference to us as a family.”
We hope Ian continues to recover well - and we’re proud of the colleagues who are supporting patients and families every day through services like our Virtual Wards.
Publish date: 21 May 2026