Could Data Led Health Monitoring Technology Be the Answer to the Challenge of Caring for an Ageing Population?

1​7 September 2024

On the election trail the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting said the new government would be honest about the challenges facing the UK and serious about tackling them.

Less than two months on from election day and it all feels depressingly familiar when it comes to the changes to both mindset and delivery that are urgently required when it comes to social care. It’s not just the NHS that is broken.

Instead, having listened to the Prime Minister’s recent Downing Street speech, it feels like we’re about to make the same mistakes with all the signs being that the new administration is going to kick any reforms back into the long grass.

It doesn’t have to be that way.  Businesses like ours operating in the technology enabled care space in the UK are ready to deliver on the kind of innovative solutions that will help support the wider health and care system.

By working more closely with - and listening to - the private sector the government can achieve its ambitions of reducing hospital stays and spiralling costs for care home and emergency admissions. The Secretary of State has said he is intending to do just that.  He has a busy in-tray but we’re ready to have that conversation.

Peter Kerly, Managing Director, Everon UK, says: “It’s undoubtedly a prickly nettle to grasp but unless action to change the UK’s approach, it risks destabilising much more than our health and social care system alone.

“This government is clearly not afraid of tackling thorny issues, so I would urge them to grab this nettle, get all the heads around the table to look at the issues holistically and find a pathway that works.

Report showcases TEC impact

Monitoring technology to support assisted independent living has the capacity to make a vital contribution to fixing the funding crisis affecting health and social care providers across the UK. We’ve known that for a long while and the data is starting to back that up.

A new industry report published this month suggests the NHS could save more than £1.2 billion through widespread use of non-intrusive lifestyle monitoring technology, including supporting early discharges from hospital.

Clearly, we have a vested interest in that success as a health tech business, but the results based on data from local councils that have embraced technology enabled care and responded to this research is particularly compelling.

The report concludes town halls across the UK responsible for social care could save £3bn by 2035 if they adopted proactive monitoring technology now.

This would give more people the option to live independently at home for longer and prevent thousands from entering more expensive care settings.

Responding to the report, Peter Kerly added, “The evidence is there as this report from a business that shares our passion for data driven, technology-enabled care reveals. A preventative-model of care that isn’t afraid of utilising proven technologies needs to be embraced and soon.”

Data backed solutions are the future for care

At Everon, we support health commissioners, housing associations and other care providers across the public and private sector with digital, data driven solutions that can make this happen.

Increasingly that is no longer a pendant that needs to be pressed to raise the alarm but technologies that can detect changes in behaviour and warn both families and care providers of health issues that may be emerging.

At the end of March, we announced a strategic partnership with Howz alongside Develco Products, IRIS-IoT and Cair to power the next generation of intelligent technology solutions for the health, housing and social care sectors.

That collaboration is already having an impact, and with growing interest from customers. As we get closer to digital switchover in 2027, by which time all analogue systems in the UK will need to be replaced, we expect that momentum to grow.  Investment decisions will be required sooner rather than later.

That investment should include the kind of technologies that we are delivering with Howz. Using unobtrusive sensors around the home, and linked to an app and data analysis portal, this system uses intelligent AI machine learning to keep people safe, families reassured, and care providers informed.

Through work with NHS Trusts and local authorities Howz has shown just how effective these behaviour-led technologies can be in supporting a preventative model of care – delivering a 32 per cent reduction in ambulance call outs and a 23 per cent fall in hospital admissions.

Kate Fairhurst, Managing  Director, Howz, says: "Howz are pioneering proactive technology in assistive care, designed to build a comprehensive picture of daily life and quickly detect shifts in behaviour that may indicate emerging health concerns.

“Our collaboration with Everon UK is bringing the future of assisted living into the present, offering providers cutting-edge insights that support timely interventions.
“With the rapid adoption of Howz proactive monitoring across health and social care, fuelled by the increasing need for early detection, Howz and Everon are at the forefront of this transformation.

“By integrating Everon’s devices with Howz’s machine learning and pattern detection capabilities, our clients gain the ability to spot issues early, ensuring that care is delivered before problems escalate—ultimately improving the quality of life for those in need."

Everon UK are sponsoring and attending Innovative Horizons: Shaping the Future of TEC at the King’s House Conference Centre in Manchester from 9am until 3.30pm on Wednesday, 25 September.

The one-day TSA members event promises to be a dynamic day of insights, discussions and networking opportunities.  If you’re interested in the potential and delivery of technology enabled care, this event organised by the TSA is for you.

To find out more about this free event, including registering your attendance, click here