Remote critical care now live in Seu d’Urgell
The Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV) in Lleida and the Fundació Sant Hospital de la Seu d’Urgell (FSH) have launched TeleUCI, a telemedicine project enabling remote assessment and support for critically and semi-critically ill patients in the Pyrenees. The service is now operational, following system installation and staff training completed on 18 June 2026. The initiative uses a robotic camera system from Teladoc Health installed in the Emergency Department at FSH. It allows real-time audiovisual connection with intensive care specialists at HUAV, who can evaluate patients’ clinical status, review diagnostic tests, and jointly make treatment decisions with local medical teams.
Improving equity and reducing unnecessary transfers
TeleUCI extends a model first introduced in 2024 between HUAV and the Hospital Comarcal del Pallars. Over two years, that project enabled remote assessment of 70 critical patients and helped prevent unnecessary transfers, improving both care quality and coordination. Dr Jesús Caballero, Clinical Director for Critical Patients in the Lleida region, said the system strengthens resuscitation support, helps decide whether a patient needs transfer, and avoids unnecessary journeys for patients and families. "Professionals feel better supported by the reference hospital, and coordination with the Medical Emergencies System improves, allowing faster treatment and decision-making," he said. The project also enables earlier return of stable patients to their local hospitals, shortening average ICU stays at HUAV and helping families stay closer to home. Caballero added this strengthens families’ trust in transfer decisions.
The project improves quality of care in resuscitation, helps decide on transfers, and avoids unnecessary journeys for patients and families.
Palmira Borràs, director of centres in the High Pyrenees Hospital Network, said TeleUCI is part of Critic.CAT, a strategic Department of Health initiative to enhance intensive care services across Catalonia using digital tools. The model is particularly valuable in geographically dispersed regions like Lleida and the Pyrenees, where some hospitals lack intensive care units. The real-time link with intensive care specialists ensures more equitable access to specialist care regardless of a patient’s place of residence, enabling faster, safer and more consensual decisions.
Primary sources: snisp.salut.gencat.cat, govern.cat, sem.gencat.cat, assistentsactes.salut.gencat.cat. Reported by lamanyana.cat, segre.com, lavanguardia.com, lleida.com.
