Telehealth set to play a big part in the future of the NHS

The Public Service sector website has published an article describing how using telehealth can save PCTs significant sums of money on the care of older people and those with long-term health conditions, whilst reducing the number of unnecessary and delayed hospital admissions. Telehealth involves the remote monitoring of patients at home by nurses. Information on the patient’s condition is transmitted daily, enabling nurses to pick up on any changes and prioritise the time that they spend on providing treatment. The approach has been shown to reduce acute hospital admissions as well as boosting recovery times for the patient. Telehealth is expected to play a major role in caring for the 17.5 million people in the UK who suffer from a long-term health condition. This group accounts for 80% of GP consultations, 60% of hospital bed use and 69% of the NHS’s primary and acute care budget. Sheffield PCT has recently trialled the use of telehealth for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Community nurse visits were reduced by 80% and hospital visits by 50% - saving the PCT up to £40,000 which has been reinvested in more telehealth monitors. It is estimated that the wider use of telehealth could potentially save the PCT £1.2 million per year by dramatically reducing the number of hospital admissions.