Priority Digital Health has developed and launched a new platform in response to the COVID-19 crisis - within the space of week.
The Covid-19 Welfare platform, designed by the Cambridge-based firm, enables the most vulnerable across Essex to register a request for support and allows volunteers to register their offer of help.
Health and social care professionals can then match the volunteers to the requests for support via the platform.
As well as building the platform, the team at Priority Digital Health has trained 350 call handlers and 3,500-plus volunteers on how to use the system; and it is now available to be customised for similar services and can be mobilised with 72 hours.
Alison Meadows, joint chief executive of Priority Digital Health, said: “This crisis has brought into sharp focus the opportunity for digital solutions to get help to the most-vulnerable people in our communities, while relieving the pressure on our health sector.
”The new Covid-19 Welfare platform is truly a local service for local residents and we’re proud that 400,000 vulnerable adults will be supported as a result”.
The service, commissioned by Essex County Council and delivered by Provide CIC in partnership with Priority Digital Health, is designed for people who are without the support of family, friends or neighbours.
The aim is to quickly and safely co-ordinate requests and referrals for support and connect them to a fully-vetted volunteer who wants to help their community during this difficult time.
The platform, which also delivers a remote stop smoking service and other community services, uses the HSCN Network as standard, one of the most-secure hosting providers in the UK.
It also has a special high-traffic hosting solution in place, which can handle a whole-population approach tested for 1.5 million residents across Essex.