15.11.12
Telehealth to be rolled out to 100,000 people
Thousands of people with long-term conditions will benefit from the use of telehealth in 2013, health secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced.
Speaking at an Age UK conference, Hunt launched the roll-out of telehealth to 100,000 people as a significant step towards the target of changing 3 million lives by 2017.
Seven pathfinders, including NHS and local authority organisations, will agree contracts with industry suppliers, and technology and services will be provided at no upfront cost.
Some results from the Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) show that using telehealth can result in a 20% reduction in emergency admissions, 15% reduction in A&E visits and 45% reduction in mortality.
Hunt said: “People with long-term conditions see doctors and nurses more than most of us – seven out of every ten pounds spent on the health budget go towards supporting them. I want to free people with long-term conditions from the constant merry-go-round of doctors’ surgeries and hospitals.
“Technology can help people manage their condition at home, free up a lot of time and save the NHS money. In a world where technology increasingly helps us manage our social and professional lives, it seems logical that it should also help people manage their health.
“With our industry partners, we will make England a world leader on telehealth.”
Sir David Nicholson, chief executive of the NHS Commissioning Board, said: “Telehealth not only saves lives, it transforms them, so that people with a long term condition can feel in control of their life.
“Working closely with the local commissioners involved and informed by their experience, we plan to promote vigorously the use of telehealth across England from next April.”
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general at Age UK said: “Empowering people to respond to changes in their long-term conditions or helping them take control of their symptoms could help them to remain independent for longer and avoid the need for health services.
“We welcome this strong commitment to self-management of long-term conditions. Whilst telehealth is not a replacement for face-to-face appointments and direct care, it could give many people a real chance of taking control of their health and improving wellbeing.”
The news was also welcomed at the International Telecare and Telehealth Conference 2012, which NHE attended this week.
The seven pathfinders are: Worcestershire (3 CCGs and Worcestershire County Council); NHS Merseyside; North Yorkshire & York and Humber PCT Cluster; NHS South Yorkshire & Bassetlaw (Sheffield, Barnsley Rotherham Doncaster and Bassetlaw PCTs but will include CCGs as they develop); Kernow CCG and Cornwall& Isles of Scilly PCT NHS Kent & Medway (8 Kent CCGs, Kent Community Health Trust and Medway Unitary Authority) and Camden CCG (with UCL Partners).
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