Tunstall joins telecare partnership

Tunstall Healthcare has joined the Argenti Telehealthcare Partnership to deliver telecare services to vulnerable adults in Hampshire.

The Argenti Telehealthcare Partnership is led by PA Consulting and comprises Tunstall Healthcare, O2, CareCalls, Medvivo and Magna Careline.

Argenti is working towards the promotion and delivery of assistive technology to improve regional care services and the partnership was recently chosen by Hampshire County Council to deliver mainstream telecare services as part of its work to transform adult services in the area.

The demand for care in Hampshire is steadily increasing due to an ageing population with more complex needs. The new telecare services are being introduced to help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions or re-admissions and to reduce the need for full-time nursing care by providing unobtrusive support for people in their own homes.

The wider rollout of telecare in Hampshire will also offer good value for money for the county council at a time when funding from the Government is being dramatically cut. Mainstreaming telecare is part of the council’s work to transform its adult services to meet these challenges and will sit alongside other new ways of delivering social care, such as extra care schemes.

Councillor Anna McNair Scott, executive member for adult social care at Hampshire County Council, said: “People want to stay in a home of their own for as long as possible and telecare can provide the confidence to enable them to do this. It can significantly improve people's sense of dignity and quality of life, and complements traditional care. For example, someone who remains in a home of their own, but has help with washing or dressing, may use telecare to remind them to take their medication or to detect any falls. And telecare can offer people with a learning disability much greater independence as it enables them to travel safely on their own.

“As the average age in the UK rises, due to better health care and nutrition, it will become increasingly important to find more effective ways to care for older people and help them enjoy their lives in the way they choose. Telecare, as part of an overall package of care, is sure to play a more prominent role in future care plans.”

David Cockayne, Tunstall’s managed services director, added: “This is an excellent opportunity to show the benefits that telecare services can deliver at scale, in terms of helping people to retain their independence, dignity and wellbeing. The Argenti Telehealthcare Partnership brings together market-leading expertise that will accelerate service redesign and the embedding of new care pathways, delivering an improved service experience.