Maryem George

General Practitioner (GP)

Sutton Virtual Ward Digital Lead (Sutton Health and Care)

Biography: Maryem is an interface GP, acting as a link between primary and secondary care. She has an interest in proactive care, frailty, palliative care, admission avoidance, innovation, digital health and providing holistic care. Maryem currently works as the Digital Lead for Sutton Virtual Ward (VW). The VW enables patients to receive hospital-level care in their home environment and looks after higher acuity patients referred from both primary and secondary care. Sutton VW supports our hospitals and can help patients get home sooner, providing holistic care to patients with a multidisciplinary approach.

South West London ICL Digital Pioneer Fellowship project summary:  The VW can look after higher acuity patients, with the support of remote monitoring technology, however there has been underutilization of this technology. The project’s main aims were to explore the various possible reasons for the underutilisation of remote monitoring and to use various interventions to increase the uptake of the technology. The work entailed would be supporting Sutton VW work across both primary and secondary care.

Estimated number of patients/staff impacted by the project: The potential impact of this project is immense, as increased VW and technology awareness may increase VW referrals, hence avoiding hospital admissions from the community referrals, and encouraging patients to be discharged home sooner from the hospital referrals. Being looked after at home will provide an array of benefits for patients. Sutton VW has the capacity of up to 85 patients at one time, hence many patients referred to the VW will be able to benefit from the support of remote monitoring technology to facilitate their care at home.  There will be an immense impact on staff across all specialities and across primary and secondary care.

Goal(s) for time on the South West London ICL Digital Pioneer Fellowship: Maryem would like to continue the great work that the Digital Pioneer Fellowship has done and to grow with the community. She is also keen to share her knowledge and learn from others to ensure the optimisation of patient care and teamwork. She enjoys making a difference that will benefit the wider NHS, for patients and the staff it serves