Research commissioned by Vodafone has found that the NHS will lose out on £1billion worth of savings every year if 5G is not rolled out quickly across the UK.
Local councils also stand to miss out on significant savings, with 5G-enabled technologies having the potential to reduce social care spending by 5%.
On top of the £40m 5G Innovation Regions funding currently available to councils, this would help plug the existing gap in social care funding.
The findings, calculated by WPI Economics, come as projections show that the ageing population will put an increasing strain on the NHS and social services in the years to come, with £79billion of public spending required to meet these needs.
And 5G-enabled technologies will be essential in addressing these challenges.
Remote care
The 5G network will enable more patient care to be delivered remotely.
For patients at home, 5G will enable high-quality and high-speed video connections, enabling doctors to deliver quality care quickly and efficiently.
This will empower people to better manage their health, allowing them to live independently for longer and could prevent people from needing additional care either in the home or in non-residential settings.
5G will support breakthroughs like at-home health scanning, personal devices, and real-time access to medical expertise – innovations that will drive better health outcomes
The NHS has already recognised the importance of this technology for bringing down waiting times and reducing hospital stays, and is set to introduce remote care for 10,000 patients from this month.
Within care homes, residents and staff will also stand to benefit from 5G rollout as monitoring via sensors could help staff monitor residents in real time, improving care and alleviating staff burnout.
And, between care providers and hospitals, data transmission becomes easier, faster, and more secure.
Speeding up adoption
Trials have shown that these innovative measures could save £296,000 per 100 users per year, equivalent to nearly £1billion based on the current number of users of public social care services.
With this number set to increase by 61% by 2038, the rollout of 5G could save up to £17.5billion over the same period.
However, these savings will not materialise unless nationwide 5G is rolled out quickly.
Ahmed Essam, chief executive of Vodafone UK, said: “Speedy national 5G rollout is a necessary condition for delivering savings to both the NHS and local councils.
With thoughtful implementation, 5G presents an immense opportunity to deliver savings and build the NHS we need for the future
“And Vodafone’s merger with Three will enable the new network to invest billions in the UK and support 5G-enabled improvements in public services.”
He added: “5G technology has the potential to transform how health and social care is delivered in this country and unlock £1billion of annual savings for the NHS.
“5G will support breakthroughs like at-home health scanning, personal devices, and real-time access to medical expertise – innovations that will drive better health outcomes.
“But, to fully capture this potential, we need to rapidly build nationwide 5G coverage.
Reaping the rewards
“Our proposed merger with Three UK will give us the scale to accelerate investment in digital infrastructure, allowing everyone to see the benefits of 5G rollout faster.”
Stephen Hammond MP, former Minister of State for Health, said of the report: “As the NHS continues to grapple with tighter budgets and increasing demand, the need to modernise health care delivery becomes ever more necessary.
“This research underlines the importance of seizing innovative solutions like 5G-enabled technology.
“The potential for remote consultations and in-home health monitoring to improve efficiency and health outcomes will be transformative.
“With thoughtful implementation, 5G presents an immense opportunity to deliver savings and build the NHS we need for the future.”