Time for change - how technology can help nurse the healthcare system

Gren Paull, CEO, Lilli, explains that following the Health and Social Care levy, that investment in technology is key to recovery in the NHS.

The Government’s new Health and Social Care levy, announced in September, saw historic levels of investment in both the NHS and social care. Starting in April next year, the increase in National Insurance contributions will raise around £12 billion a year, equalling £36 billion over the next three years. 

Principally aimed at NHS recovery and clearing the backlog, the package falls far short of the comprehensive reform that adult social care so badly needs for meaningful change to happen. Although welcome, the investment fails to address the sector’s systemic and long-term issues such as low pay, staffing and recruitment challenges, and unsuitable working conditions. As social care continues to wrestle with supporting today’s ageing population and managing the devastating consequences of COVID-19, this is merely a short-term fix.

The reality of the situation is that local authorities who provide social care will receive an average of around £11 million per year from 2022. However, with the average deficit amongst councils’ health and social care budget coming in at a staggering £14.3 million per annum in 2022, this new investment doesn’t go anywhere near far enough.

Low wages, the pandemic and Brexit-related workforce changes are also contributing to a deepening staffing crisis in the sector, set against a backdrop of an increasing number of adults relying on social care support. Throw in the hike in National Insurance to fund the levy and it could potentially drive many care workers, who are already on low pay, into the arms of other sectors, exacerbating the crisis further.

Money alone cannot change the deep-rooted issues in social care. It will not resolve the ongoing issues with a lack of resources, increasing patient numbers or the grim impact of COVID-19. Social care needs urgent transformation and more than just sticking a plaster on a mortal wound.

Change is coming

The good news is that technology has the potential to fundamentally transform the way we deliver social care. Its power is immense. Tech enabled care can support individuals to make the right choices for their care and offers opportunities for people to self-manage, helping them maintain their independence and improve their outcomes. It can develop and support new ways of working for those delivering care, providing much needed capacity and cost efficiencies for service providers.

In sectors such as retail and hospitality, using technology that delivers real-time data insights has become the norm, transforming the way these sectors operate. The data is enabling cost-savings, streamlining processes and providing more personalised experiences for the consumer. Hotels, for example, use-real time data to create tailor-made packages and then offer them to customers at the right time.

In the same way, remote behavioural monitoring technology can enable care providers to be better informed about the actions they can take and the care pathways they choose for their patients. The technology combines data gathered through sensors placed around the home with artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver real-time data-based insights.

These sensors can provide information and analytics to enable a carer or occupational therapist to better understand the status of their patient, such as making them aware that they are less mobile than previously thought. It empowers them to recommend a clinical course of action based on the data in front of them, such as increasing or decreasing the number of care visits, or recommending physical therapy. This timely action might prevent an incident such as a slip, trip or fall, that could have resulted in a hospital admission, the loss of their independence and ultimately a costly care episode. 

Enabling independent living

Equally as important for the individuals are the technology-enabled benefits of being able to remain safe and independent at home. Everyone should have the opportunity to live independently and with dignity. Technology can help to anticipate risks much earlier, provide safety and security and create peace of mind amongst both patients and those concerned with their care. Crucially for a resource stretched system, allowing vulnerable people to live safely in their home for longer provides valuable opportunities to tackle waiting lists and delayed transfers of care or ‘bed blocking’.

Currently, personal alarm technology is the most widely used solution to enable vulnerable people to alert loved ones or carers to incidents, and these are often the most recognised form of assisted living technology. But this form of reactive technology is limiting - it can only deliver value after an incident has already taken place.

The future of care must involve a shift from reactive to proactive solutions, and technology is at the centre of that. Today a new breed of innovators are emerging, with pilot schemes rolling out that reflect real technological ingenuity and creative thinking in tackling the issues facing the sector.

Technology is the cornerstone of social care reform

An efficient, well-resourced, and patient-focussed social care sector is vital to a healthy nation and a strong and well-performing NHS.By looking after most people outside of the health system, it will allow better care for those who need hospital treatment and ensure a more efficient use of available beds.

The additional investment from the new levy is a step in the right direction towards reform but we need to get real. Many of the pressures that drive up funding needs for health and social care will persist. This is not ‘job done.’ It will not fully tackle unmet needs or address many workforce challenges.

Technology can and should be the cornerstone of a long term and sustainable future for the health and social care sector. Whilst its full potential is yet to be realised, there is a growing acceptance that it can facilitate vital operational change. The sector is prepared to adapt and upskill and move towards more technology-driven care practices in the future. Only by adopting technology-enabled care will the sector realise the wider and long-term transformation that it so urgently needs.