Welcome to our newsletter, where we provide you with the latest from Digital Telecare for Scottish Government. In this edition, we bring you a recap of the events within the Digital Telecare Programme over the past month, along with insights of upcoming activities.
If you have any queries regarding any of the content within this newsletter, please get in touch.
Only 550 days left until the end of the digital telephone migration.
Our Digital Telecare Programme is here to support all Scottish Local Authorities, Health and Social Care Partnerships, and Housing Associations in preparing for this transformation.
Whilst BT has extended their migration deadline to 2027, other telecom companies are unchanged and we remain committed to counting down to the 2025 deadline to ensure all Scottish Telecare Service Providers are ready well in advance.
Transitioning to digital services before the 2025 deadline is crucial to avoid any interruptions.
Our dedicated Digital Telecare team is armed with the resources and expertise to help you on your journey to digital.
Don't wait! If you need support on your analogue to digital migration, get in touch today.
Benefits of Telecare: Reduced Ambulance Call Outs.
We are looking for Telecare Service Providers to assist in gathering information on how having a response service could reduce the requirement to send out an ambulance for every fall.
Benefit Description
Having a response service in place reduces the requirement to send out an ambulance every fall, so this reduces pressure and costs on the ambulance service.
Approach to measurement
Reduction in costs due to fewer ambulance call outs = % of call outs that can be replaced with a response service X Cost difference in response service compared to ambulance call out.
Associated benefits: reduced ambulance calls due to preventing falls in the first place (preventative care).
If you'd like to volunteer to assist in a pilot gathering this information, please contact Vivien below.
We have seen a recent rise in failed calls that has seen an issue with matching the voice call with the client record.
So far this appears to be affecting a small number of Telecare Service Providers, but if you are seeing the last three digits of the Call Line Identifier as 000 then please get in touch
Telecare Information Framework: Importance of Using Data to Improve Service Delivery.
In July 2023, the Telecare Information Framework (TIF) was launched in collaboration with the Scottish Government’s Digital Health and Care Division.
This framework is comprised of a core set of defined fields to capture information, allowing Telecare Service Providers to illustrate the use and impact of telecare service provision in Scotland.
With over 140,000 citizens who rely on telecare in Scotland, the TIF creates a common language for providers and service users alike. This means that different service providers can easily share information and coordinate their efforts, leading to more efficient and effective care across the nation.
Head to our website to learn more about how the TIF can enhance service delivery.
Digital Telecare Assessed Solutions List: Legislative Changes.
As you may be aware, in April 2024 the Product Security and Telecomms Infrastructure Act 2022 (PSTI 22) came into force in the UK. Details of the PSTI 22, its scope, regulation, and penalties for non-compliance can be found on the gov.uk website.
The Digital Office believes that the devices listed on the Assessed Solutions List are in scope for the PSTI 22 Act and Regulations. We have reached out to suppliers to make sure the entries on the Assessed Solution List are compliant. Please note this legislation affects devices only and not the DMPs or ARC services currently listed.
If you have any queries on the Assessed Solutions List or how the legislation affects the device listing, get in touch below.
Censis, who have been working in the telecare sector for the last 5 years, are focusing on opportunities for scalable telecare and telehealth developments that have been made more accessible due to the integration with the national Shared ARC Platform.
For the past year, Censis have been working on a ‘Bring Your Own Device’ project in partnership with Amazon, together with a consortium of 5 Telecare Service Providers in Scotland, and supported by The Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and The Digital Office.
The project aims to develop a business model for Telecare Service Providers to have the ability to adopt a service user’s own consumer device, which can then be integrated with the ARC platform using a connectivity hub and managed alongside other supported telecare devices.
It is currently in the initial testing phase, which will see Amazon Alexa Echo Show devices being rolled out together with the connectivity hub, in Falkirk and Fife to begin with. These will be tested into the Skyresponse platform in the first instance, with a view to integrating further with other ARC providers in future. These devices were chosen due to their specific functionality, including voice commands and screens for images and video calling capabilities.
For further information on this, and a demo of the Alexa/ Skyresponse integration, click below:
This work will be ongoing until March 2025 and the intention is to roll out test devices to around 500 service users. Further to those already involved, Censis are looking for additional test sites, so if you are interested in taking part in the device testing over the course of the next year, please get in contact and we will arrange for you to be included in this exciting and innovative project.
BT is raising awareness about the switch to its digital home phone service on a region-by-region basis, to help customers understand the simple steps required to make the switch.
BT is taking extra time and will provide additional support to customers who identify as vulnerable or with additional needs to ensure they are ready to move to a digital landline. All local authorities and Telecare Service Providers have been asked to share which phone lines have telecare devices on them, and BT is encouraging any vulnerable customers who have concerns or who haven’t told us about their circumstances to give them a call.
Throughout July and August, BT will be heading to towns and cities across Scotland, they will have a team on hand who can tell customers what Digital Voice is, why the change is necessary and what it means for them. Please advise any service users that there is no need to pre-book these sessions.
For a full list of their upcoming Digital Voice events, head to their website below.
We are launching a 6-month campaign on how change management can help organisations make sustainable changes. In collaboration with Telecare Service Providers, we are developing guidance, holding another workshop and using a case study to look at ways Change Management can improve your change initiatives. Stay tuned for more updates!
Digital Office for Scottish Local Government, COSLA Verity House, 19 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh, United Kingdom EH12 5BH, Scotland
