MP Damien Moore Applauds Tech Integration in Healthcare

Damien Moore MP welcomes £3,000,000 investment in first Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Projects 

The Government have invested over £3,000,000 of funding into four new pilot programmes, designed to integrate digital social care, utilising: outstanding, safe, personalised data, into contemporary healthcare recovery protocols, demonstrating our commitment to the transformation of Adult Social Care across the UK. 

These programmes aim to enhance patient autonomy, self-management, and reduce avoidable hospitalisation and community-based re-admission. Following the launch of the Adult Social Care Technology Fund in April 2023, the following four applicants have successfully received funding: 

National Care Group will receive £300,000 to improve the quality of medication management, promoting recipient independence using Electronic Medication Administration Record Systems. 
Shropshire Council has been awarded £1,200,000 over two years to embed technology in people's homes alongside a virtual care delivery service to help meet care and support needs digitally, decentalising healthcare while supporting patient independence within the community.  
Reading Borough Council has received over £1,000,000 to trial sensor technologies to monitor changes in unhealthy recipient behaviours. 
Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board will receive £380,000 to deliver a project to determine the efficacy of a digital falls prevention programme for older people living within the community.  

The administered funding will assist in identify how care-focused technology solutions can be integrated into the wider health sector, complementing and updating contemporary understandings of system efficacy and future care-protocol applicability.  

Additional funding applicants to the Adult Social Care Digital Transformation fund will be evaluated on a rolling basis, pending successful demonstration ASCDT system conformity. 

Damien Moore, Member of Parliament for Southport said:  

“I fully support the continued investment and integration of technology within both our care sector, and wider society. From the £1,000,000 Automated External Defibrillator Fund, to the Adult Social Care Digital Transformation Projects, the Conservative Government is demonstrating positive progression in re-embedding healthcare within our local communities. 

“While I fully support the Government’s commitment to reforming the provision of Adult Social Care nationally, I will continue to advocate for the re-instatement of paediatric A&E services locally, ensuring Southport remains a centre of healthcare excellent for all members of society.” 

Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:  

“I’m delighted to announce the projects receiving the first £3m of our adult social care technology fund. These exciting projects will use technology to improve quality of care and help people live independently for longer. More care at home and more personalised care is what people want and helps reduce pressure on the NHS.  

“We are also investing in digital care records to join up care and reduce the burden of admin on staff. I look forward to seeing these projects develop and scale up the use of technology in social care, better meeting people’s care needs and helping us build a sustainable care system.” 

Oonagh Smyth, Managing Director of Skills for Care, said: 

“Congratulations to all four teams who have secured funding that will help them evaluate the effectiveness of care technologies in adult social care, and how it might be scaled up at a local level.  

“These projects will support the Skills for Care digital leadership, digital champions and digital skills programme where we are working with the adult social care sector to build the confidence and skills of our workforce to embrace, adopt and embed technology.” 

Michael Armstrong, Managing Director at Havering Care Homes, said:  

“We have used a digital care planning system for several years and it revolutionised our business.  It has reduced the time staff spent recording information, which allowed them to spend more time with the residents, and the information staff produced was more valuable in building up an understanding of care needs and how they are changing.   

 “From a management perspective it has given us much better management information to get a good overview of residents individual and collective needs, along with such benefits as GP connect and access to shared care records.”