Roll-out of telehealth and telecare services to 3m homes gets government go-ahead
London. Dec 05, 2011: Intellect, the trade body for the UK’s technology industry, has today welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of the ‘3Million Lives’ campaign. The 3Million Lives (3ML) campaign aims to enhance the lives of millions of people with long term conditions over the next five years by accelerating the roll-out of telehealth and telecare services across England.
To support the campaign the Department of Health has published headline findings from the Whole Systems Demonstrator, a randomised control trial of telehealth and telecare services delivered to 6,000 people and provides the clinical evidence needed to mainstream these services.
Intellect is a founding member of the 3ML campaign which brings together the technology industry, NHS, Department of Health and health and care professionals to provide the right conditions to open up access to state-of-the-art care services in people’s homes.
The use of telehealth and telecare has formed part of the Innovation, health and wealth review carried out by NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson. Speaking today Sir David said that the review has given the NHS the tools to removing the barriers to spreading innovation including putting technology into peoples’ homes to help them manage their own conditions. He added: “It represents a call to action for everyone in the NHS to make innovation a central priority.”
John Higgins Intellect’s director general, said: “The WSD trial shows that telehealth can bring dramatic benefits to people's lives. It is also a great opportunity for the UK to become a world leader in technologies that deliver healthcare to people at home. It gives UK companies a great platform on which to build innovative solutions and open up new markets.”
Adrian Flowerday, MD of Docobo Ltd, a UK telehealth technology SME and Chairman of Intellect’s Telehealth Group, said: “Telehealth has prevented unnecessary hospital admissions and visits to doctors, but most importantly it has improved the quality of care and life of patients. Patients are becoming less anxious, more confident, going out more and getting their lives back. Relatives and carers no longer need to spend hours worrying about their condition, waiting for nurse visits or travelling to the hospital to visit loved ones.”
Intellect is the trade association for the UK’s technology sector which includes the IT, telecoms and electronics industries. Intellect has 830 member companies ranging from major multinationals to SMEs which account for approximately 10per cent of UK GDP.
Notes to editors
Get in touch:
Tony Henderson, head of communications
T: + 44 (0)20 7331 2031
M: +44 (0)7730988295
E:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
Media centre 
