The announcement of the Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) results in early December 2011 highlighted that telehealth provides a unique opportunity to make significant financial savings when implemented for patients suffering with long-term conditions.

The report provides robust evidence in support of changing the way healthcare is delivered and accessed and, in particular, the way that the NHS manages the growing problem of long-term conditions. The government's recent drive to boost private sector funding of infrastructure projects is also a timely catalyst to help deliver telehealth systems in the UK.

Patients who suffer from long-term conditions make up 31% of the population, but approximately 69% of all primary and acute care budgets in England are spent on them. They account for more than half of GP appointments and nearly two-thirds of all outpatient appointments. The 5% of patients who have one or more long-term conditions account for 49% of all inpatient bed days.

One particular long-term condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is the second most common cause of emergency admissions, the largest cause of hospital readmission and is one of the most costly diseases in terms of hospital care.

So, looking at different ways of delivering care to patients who suffer from these long-term conditions is a key priority for an NHS facing challenging efficiency targets. The delivery of those targets will require the NHS to challenge the current methods of service delivery and the boundaries that are often placed on the provision of acute, community and social care.

Telehealth and telecare have been shown to provide opportunities for delivering care more efficiently. There is national and international evidence that demonstrates the delivery of both cost savings and improved care to patients with long-term conditions. The benefits have primarily been in preventing unplanned hospital admissions and facilitating early discharge.

It also provides a mechanism through which selected patients with long-term conditions can remotely monitor a range of daily vital signs such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation, pulse rate, temperature and weight. This also provides trend data for clinical teams.

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Phil launched his latest challenge at Chichester College on the 24th January 2012, supported by members of the College, local schools, the Armed Forces, an array of celebrities and West Sussex Fire & Rescue cheering him on.

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Aims

The aim of 3 million lives is to enhance the lives of three million people over the next 5 years by accelerating the roll-out of telehealth and telecare in the NHS and social care.

By working together, the government, NHS and the industry have the expertise to overcome the existing barriers to develop these services for the benefit of millions of people.

The Department of Health is providing up to £100 million in additional funding to doctors in emerging Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) to improve local services and reduce pressures on the NHS during the colder months.

Clinicians in these groups will spend the money directly on local care services that best meet their patients’ clinical needs and prevent unnecessary admissions to hospital. For example, prospective Clinical Commissioning Groups could use the funding to:
•    provide more effective cover for urgent care services
•    improve out of hours services for patients
•    improve local arrangements with nursing homes
•    extend GP practice opening times, or
•    commission any service which supports patients in the community and in their homes to help avoid unnecessary visits to hospital.

This is the first time these prospective clinical groups have been given money to spend on patient services. They will have £2 per head of population made available to them via their Primary Care Trust (PCT) cluster to spend this financial year.

The UK wide network of Independent Living Centres helping to provide freedom of choice and maintain independence.

Moirag Clarke - Manual Handling Coordinator, Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

At the moment, health and social care – the help given mainly to old or disabled patients to help them continue to live at home rather than in hospital or nursing homes – are different systems in England. NHS medical treatment and domiciliary support, which is provided mainly by local councils, are usually not joined-up.

But Cameron has told the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, to drive through changes that health policy experts claim will make life more convenient for patients, improve care and save the NHS money.

The changes will lead to some hospitals closing, warned the pro-integration NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals and other major NHS employers.

The prime minister has been persuaded by senior doctors and Downing Street health advisers that, without integration, the NHS could become unsustainable due to rises in the number of patients with long-term health conditions such as obesity, diabetes and breathing problems.

The first move towards creating joined-up services is likely to see Lansley tell the NHS that it has to give integration the same priority that keeping waiting lists under control has had for the last decade.

That new target is the key recommendation of a new report on integrating care by the King's Fund and Nuffield Trust health thinktanks, whose chief executives both advise Downing Street.

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The extra money will be spent on social care so that people can get settled back at home with the support they need and have shorter stays in hospital. It will help to get the services in place that people sometimes need to live independently at home.

It will also enable local services to respond to pressures this winter.

In addition, the Department is providing an extra £20 million for the Disabled Facilities Grant, which can help people live independently at home, saving them from an unnecessary stay in hospital or going into residential care