£80m Preventative Technology Funding Available to Support Independent Living and Transform Community

Local Authorities and their PCT partners can initiate a transformation in the design and delivery of health and social care services and prevention strategies by using the Government’s £80m Preventative Technologies Grant (PTG) funding to deploy innovative telecare technology to enhance and maintain the well being, self-esteem and independence of individuals, according to telecare specialist Tunstall.

The Government has allocated £80m for the grant for two years, starting from April 2006. The Preventative Technologies Grant will be distributed via social services’ baseline funding, with £30m available in 2006/07 and a further £50m to be distributed in 2007/08.

The purpose of the grant is to develop a long term sustainable service delivery improvements by using low level support to prevent later crises, maintaining well being and avoiding more costly care. Community alarms and telecare can support older people and enable them to live safely and securely at home for longer, reducing avoidable admissions to residential care and hospital.

As the funding is not ring-fenced no bids are required, however councils with social services responsibility and relevant stakeholders need to have plans in place before April 2006 to expand the uptake of these technologies.

The positive impact that telecare can have on primary and social care provision has been clearly demonstrated in West Lothian. The council’s Home Safety Service, recognised as one of the most advanced social healthcare projects in Europe, has successfully integrated telecare solutions from Tunstall with existing service provision to promote independent living as a cost effective alternative to institutional care.

West Lothian was recently awarded first prize at the 2005 Healthcare IT Effectiveness Awards for its pioneering use of IT in primary and community care, which has helped the council to achieve the lowest proportion of bed blocking in Scotland. The average length of stay in hospital by a patient assessed as ready to move is 9 days, compared with the Scottish average of 57 days.

Telecare solutions enable carers to provide flexible assistance and support when and where it’s really needed in line with the wishes of the user, thereby simultaneously relieving some of the pressure on health and social care systems and also enabling users to remain mobile and independent for longer.

Tunstall, the leading provider of personal and home reassurance telecare solutions, has worked closely with a number of local authorities to facilitate the transformation of community services through the application of telecare technology, leading to proactive, preventative models of care. Users are given the confidence and support they need to remain living independently for longer, reducing the need for residential care home places and supporting both formal and informal carers. If you would like Tunstall to help your organisation, please visit www.tunstall.co.uk/funding to register your interest.