£18m programme to test impact of assisted living devices on UK health and social care services

The Technology Strategy Board is investing the cash over four years to demonstrate how new technologies and innovative services can help support independent living for older people and those with long-term conditions.

The market for these services is now growing rapidly in the UK and across the world and this investment will provide opportunities for British companies to showcase themselves in valuable new ways

The DALLAS programme – Delivering Assisted Living Lifestyles at Scale – will establish up to five sites across the UK with a minimum of 10,000 users per site and will show how assisted living technologies and services can be used to promote well-being and provide quality health and care. It will also help to grow the sector in the UK and enable British companies to take advantage of an increasing global demand for telecare solutions.

The Government’s Universities and Science Minister, David Willetts, said: “British companies have made great progress in developing new independent living technologies. The market for these services is now growing rapidly in the UK and across the world and this investment will provide opportunities for British companies to showcase themselves in valuable new ways.”

Iain Gray, the Technology Strategy Board’s chief executive, added: “This demonstrator programme will be the next step towards the aspiration of providing assisted living services for millions of people across the UK. The key objective is to take the next step towards integrating new healthcare and well-being technology and services across the public sector, the private sector and the third sector, including by charities and social enterprises.”

The objective is to take the next step towards integrating new healthcare and well-being technology and services across the public sector, the private sector and the third sector, including by charities and social enterprises

 The programme will also show how cost savings could be made alongside the provision of improved health benefits for both public and private provision, while opening new markets in social innovation, service innovation and wellness.

There will be a total investment over four years of £23m, with the Technology Strategy Board investing £18 and the Scottish Government investing a further £5m to establish one of the sites in Scotland.

A competition for contracts to establish the DALLAS sites will open in June when further information will be made available. Click on the link below for details.