January 3rd 2025
The Government has today announced new reforms and an independent commission to transform social care. The review will take place between 2025 and 2028, but tech developments and data sharing have been identified as areas for ‘immediate work’.
The Department of Health and Social Care announcement says that work to support adult social care includes setting new national standards and guidance on care technology over the next year, and enabling all care providers to be “fully digitised” and for “staff to have access to essential medical information in a timely way” by the end of this parliament.
Responding to the announcement, Michelle Corrigan, Director of Digital Care Hub said:
“Digital Care Hub welcomes the early focus on technology and data sharing in the Government’s plans to transform adult social care. We know that tech and access to up-to-date digital records improve both the quality and efficiency of care. Today’s announcement builds on recent progress with record numbers of care providers now using digital technology.
“As the provider-led body supporting the sector with tech and data sharing, we look forward to working with the Department of Health and Social Care on these crucial developments. We will continue to put the case that the cost of introducing, implementing and maintaining digital tech must be factored in to the commissioning of care services. It is a business necessity – not an optional extra.”
The wider plans have been largely welcomed by the care sector, but concerns have been raised about the extended timeframe for the full independent commission, to be led by Baroness Casey.
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Notes to editors
Technology and data sharing references in Government announcement
The Government press release, issued on 3 January 2025, includes the following references:
“Designed to bolster the adult social care over the next year, the government’s immediate work to support the social care sector plan will:
“Set new national standards and trusted guidance on the best technology in care, so that people receiving care, their families and care providers can confidently buy what works and get the safest, most effective tech into their homes or services. The standards will help care providers know which technologies are fit for purpose, secure and able to connect with wider NHS and social care systems in the future, in order to encourage investment. They will also help technology suppliers know where to invest to grow their businesses and continue to create innovative products that support people’s care. For example, sensor-based technologies can prevent and reduce the impact of falls, enabling people to live independently for longer and decreasing demand on the NHS and social care. These devices can raise alerts when someone is at risk of a fall and when a fall has taken place, reducing the length of time someone spends waiting to get the help they need. These are already being used by more than 1.7 million people to support their care, Government will go further, by making it easier for families to identify and agree which technologies will work best for an elderly person.
“Through this approach, families and care providers can work more closely to integrate assisted technologies into care plans to help keep patients living at home independently rather than in hospital, which can be distressing and upsetting particularly for elderly and frail patients, whilst taking up valuable NHS time and resources.”
“[It will] join up health and care services by:
- supporting care workers to take on further duties to deliver delegated healthcare activities, such as blood pressure checks and other healthcare interventions.
- enabling health and care staff to access real-time social care, GP and hospital data including by joining up digital systems with a shared platform. By the end of the parliament, we aim for all care providers to be fully digitised, and for staff to have access to essential medical information in a timely way.
- This will deliver significant benefits to care users who won’t need to repeat information about their care needs multiple times; to care staff who won’t need to wait in a GP phone queue to find information about the people they care for; and to the NHS where information about someone’s recent care history can help a doctor to determine the best treatment. By linking up systems, NHS and care staff will have instant access to the latest information, speeding up and improving care both in hospital and at home.”
About Digital Care Hub
The Digital Care Hub provides free information, guidance and support to enable adult social care providers to make the most of digital technology – and to do it safely.
We are an independent consortium, led by care providers, so we understand the needs and challenges facing the diverse range of organisations in our sector. The consortium consists of key national trade associations representing the diverse range of adult social care providers in England.
We work closely with care providers, technology suppliers, organisations representing people who draw on services and carers, commissioners and regulators.
We work with NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care to inform and influence policy, guidance, and implementation plans.
Our key roles are to:
- act as the sector-led consortium supporting adult social care providers to understand and implement digital technologies safely
- represent care providers’ interests in policy, regulation, funding and tech developments
- host Better Security, Better Care – the national programme to help care providers with data and cyber security, including completing the Data Security and Protection Toolkit every year. This programme is funded by NHS England.
- act as the subject matter expert to the Government’s Digitising Social Care programme which is funded by NHS England.
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