Government Pledge Further £8M For Telecare
An additional eight million pounds to develop interactive care services for vulnerable people in their own homes was announced today.
Over the next two years, local health, housing and social care partnerships will benefit from extra funding to expand Telecare programmes which allow people leaving hospital to live with greater independence and safety at home.
The National Telecare Programme has already saved 1,800 hopital bed days and 6,900 care home bed days, worth nearly three million pounds to NHS Scotland.
In recognition of their innovative approaches to Telecare, partnerships in Highland, Inverclyde and West Lothian have received extra funding for Housing Demonstrator schemes providing a range of housing solutions for care at home.
Minister for Public Health Shona Robison will visit the Royal Northern Infirmary in Inverness today to see first-hand an early discharge facility currently available in Highland.
Ahead of the visit Ms Robison said:
“Leaving hospital care can be a difficult time. It is important to reassure people who are anxious about what lies ahead and make them feel safer and more secure.
“That is why I am delighted to announce an additional £8 million for the development of Telecare services across Scotland over the next two years. These services will help support people to live independently, while providing peace of mind that help is at hand.
“I am looking forward to seeing the results of faster innovation and a new generation of interactive care services which promise far reaching improvements to the quality of people’s lives.
“The Scottish Government is committed to providing innovative solutions for better care and I am pleased to see how this facility in Inverness is being used to build people’s confidence and security about being discharged from hospital.”
Telecare covers a range of devices and services that harness developing technology and are available to people in their home to help them live with greater independence and safety.
Examples include devices that trigger a response from a call centre, such as falls monitors or motion sensors. Responses may range from a phone call to the person, to alerting a local carer or neighbour or social service, to alerting emergency services if appropriate.
The National Telecare Programme will receive an additional £8 million from the Scottish Government. £4 million will be made available in 2008/09, with a further £4 million earmarked for 2009/10.
Highland, Inverclyde and West Lothian are receiving an additional £150,000 from this year’s Telecare budget to run their Housing Demonstration projects.
Telecare Development Funding has been responsible for a minimum of;
Around 1,300 additional people able to maintain themselves at home with support
66 delayed hospital discharges and 140 emergency hospital admissions avoided, with 1,800 hospital bed days saved
74 care home admissions avoided, and 6,900 care home bed days saved
1,250 nights of sleepover care and 107,000 home check visits saved
Associated with these impacts are efficiency savings of around 2.9 million pounds.
