3millionlives to extend the reach of telehealth and telecare to improve the lives of people with long term conditions and social care needs
A national campaign to rollout telehealth and telecare services to more than three million people over the next five years was formally launched on Thursday 19 January by Paul Burstow MP, Minister of State for Care Services, and has received the full support of BT.
The Minister announced that the Department of Health would be working with four leading trade associations to make the 3millionlives’ vision a reality.
BT is committed to the telehealth market and, as one of the market leaders in health in the UK, welcomes this new approach.
It believes telehealth can radically transform the way care is delivered and enhance the patient experience and is working with innovative and leading suppliers to provide a range of solutions, to offer greater choice and flexibility to clinicians, commissioners and patients.
BT’s telehealth lead, Angela Single, is chair of the 3millionlives Working Group, which is working with the Department of Health to take forward the 3millionlives campaign.
Angela said: “Industry is committed to working with relevant stakeholders to overcome the barriers that have so far prevented the NHS from fully adopting telehealth and telecare. This unique partnership-led campaign between health and social care, a world-leading industry and representatives of patients and service-users will provide the impetus needed to make a real difference – any changes to service delivery takes time, but time is not on our side as we are faced with an aging population who should be benefitting now from telehealth and telecare services that have been proven to work. “
The four industry trade associations taking part in the 3millionlives campaign are the Telecare Services Association, the largest telecare and telehealth specific industry body in Europe, representing over 340 organisations; Intellect, representing the IT sector; Association of British Healthcare Industries, the industry association for the UK medical technology sector; and Medilink UK, the life sciences industry organisation with specific interest in telehealth and telecare.
To find out more, or to get involved, go to the 3millionlives website