Care leaders are to be trained to use the latest cutting-edge technology in a bid to improve patient care, free up staff time and help people live independently in their own homes for longer.
In an attempt to shift adult social care from analogue to digital as part of the Plan for Change, the health secretary has announced a new qualification designed to equip care leaders with the skills to use and rapidly deploy technology across care homes and other settings.
Training will focus on tools which have been shown to improve the quality of care and reduce pressure on staff, including motion sensors that can detect and alert staff when a patient has had a fall; video telecare to allow remote appointments with doctors and carers to reduce the need to travel; and artificial intelligence which can automate routine tasks like note taking or predict when a patient might need additional care.
It is hoped that these technologies will help people to receive the best possible care in the community and prevent avoidable trips to the hospital, reducing pressure on the NHS.
Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said: "We will harness the full potential of cutting-edge technology to transform social care, helping people to live independently in their own homes and improving the quality of care.
"By investing in skills training for care workers, introducing a Fair Pay Agreement, and providing more opportunities for career progression, we will help retain the incredible professionals we need.
"Our Plan for Change will make sure we have the people and the skills needed to build a National Care Service."
Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “Investment in using the latest technology in social care could be transformative for the sector, whether that is for system efficiency, data analytics for prevention or customer service. Therefore, it is good the Government has announced staff will be trained to use this to help provide the care and support people rely on.
“To go bigger on the use of tech and AI, funding will be needed for scalability, as well as standards and safeguards to reassure and engage social care practice, testbeds, implementation and expertise.
“But latest technology alone will not provide all the changes the sector needs, nor can it be a substitute for human contact. The Spending Review must provide much-needed funding to tackle immediate challenges, lay the ground for the Casey Commission’s work, and support the care workforce, including for the fair pay agreement government is prioritising. Without immediate government action, care services will remain at risk, with devastating consequences for people and families who have cause to draw on them.”
