Birmingham city council has invested in a £14m city telecare service to support people with long-term needs and help them remain in their homes for longer.

The telecare service, which is planned to benefit up to 25,000 people in Birmingham over three years, combines a response service with a range of telecare solutions, including motion detectors and temperature sensors to support older people and those with long-term needs.  By making the strategic decision to extend the telecare service provision to more people, the council expects to create a systemic shift towards early intervention and preventative services, to meet growing demand for increasingly personalised care packages.

Care Services Minister Paul Burstow said: "Birmingham should be proud that it is pioneering this new approach, which is set to improve the quality of care for service users and increase their independence and dignity, as well as reducing the time they spend in hospital.

"It is only by the telecare industry working together with partners such as Birmingham City Council that this will be possible. Their collaboration illustrates the kind of partnership between industry and service providers that the Three Million Lives campaign is seeking to encourage."

The telecare service will be delivered across chosen care pathways, which include enablement of service users, prevention services and assessment and support planning. A Birmingham Telehealthcare Delivery Centre has been set up to ensure services are available locally and developed in conjunction with the voluntary sector. In addition, an independent Citizen's Quality Assurance Group will be established to monitor effective outcomes for users and deciding the future direction of the service.

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