Telecare Programme background

Launched in August 2006, the National Telecare Development Programme aims to help more people in Scotland live at home for longer, with safety and security, by promoting the use of telecare in Scotland through the provision of a development fund and associated support. This is expected to provide the foundation on which telecare can become an integral part of community care services across Scotland.

All 32 health and social care partnerships were eligible for a share of the £8m ring-fenced fund, conditional on their proposals meeting the following criteria:

  • Proposal endorsed by Community Planning partners or other senior strategic partnership
  • A strategic approach that demonstrates how Telecare will complement the range of other local health and social care services
  • An indication of the scope and range of services to be introduced with explicit targets relating to impact on outcomes for service users
  • Evidence of how the services will be sustained and further developed through the partnership's own resources
  • Evidence of the efficiency savings to be gained as a result of the introduction of a range of telecare services

All partnerships were eligible for a minimum £75,000 allocation, subject to a satisfactory proposal based on the criteria above. Allocations above the minimum have been made using a formula based on Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE).

Copies of the guidance notes and application form which were used can be downloaded here:

Telecare Guidance September 2006.pdf

The JIT business case that was used to secure the £8m – £3.5m from the Scottish Government Health Department, £4.0m from the Efficiency and Reform Fund, and £0.5m from the Development Department / Communities Scotland – is available to download here:

Telecare Development Programme Proposal May 2006.pdf

Two-stage submission process

Telecare Development Programme proposals were progressed using a two-stage submission process.

Stage One

The closing date for partnerships to submit their initial proposals to JIT for their indicative funding allocation was 31 October 2006. All 32 partnerships submitted initial proposals, which were evaluated against the published criteria. JIT held a workshop in October 2006 to provide practical assistance to partnerships, details of which are available in our Past Events section.

The submissions included a range of proposals and initiatives, representing the wide range of needs and circumstances of different communities across Scotland. While some proposed to extend the range of Telecare equipment already in use, or to test new applications, others sought to widen access to Telecare solutions, or simply increase the number of people who benefit. Some partnerships sought in their proposals to develop and improve response arrangements, while others wanted to integrate Telecare more fully into community care and support services. A small number also referred to Telehealth developments.

Taken together, the submissions provided a fascinating overview of the extent and variety of existing Telecare services in Scotland. In some areas Telecare is very well established and a key element of an integrated domiciliary health and social care and support service; here there is expertise and a readiness to expand further – but this is not the case everywhere. The task for JIT as the Telecare Programme progresses is to facilitate and support the sharing of experience and expertise and best practice across partnerships, if the full added value of the development fund is to be realised. The interest and commitment evident in all the initial submissions was a very encouraging start to that process. A summary of the initial proposals at March 2007 can be accessed via the right hand panel on this page.

Stage Two

Stage Two submissions were required to be sent to JIT by 16 April 2007 in order to receive the second tranche of the Telecare Development Fund allocation. Where there was clear evidence of progress, the second payment was disbursed by the end of June 2007. Where proposals were still at an early stage of development, progress reviews by JIT were scheduled to take place in the Autumn.

Stage 2 of the assessment process enabled us to gather information on:

  • The efficiencies expected to arise from disbursement of Telecare programme funding
  • The key outcomes expected by local partnerships as a result of disbursing these funds
  • The progress of the programme and how money has been spent by local partnerships, as part of our monitoring arrangements
Procurement of Telecare

Important to the Programme’s success in Scotland will be how Telecare services are commissioned and procured by partnerships. JIT held an event in January 2007 that was specifically targeted at those who are directly involved in the development, implementation, and management of local Telecare services – more information about the event and its outcomes is available in the Past Events section of our website.

A National Framework Agreement was launched in June 2006 by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) to procure Telecare effectively and efficiently and to develop a single ‘public sector’ market place for industry. The Telecare Programme Board expects that the NFA will be used by partnerships for procuring equipment funded through the Programme, unless local partnerships can demonstrate they have other arrangements which provide better value.

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency in England, including details of the National Framework Agreement (NFA) for Telecare:

Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the Telecare Development Programme funding was commissioned by JIT when the National Programme commenced, and is being undertaken by York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC). Partnerships are required to colloborate in this monitoring and evaluation, specifically through collecting a standard set of information.

We’ll publish relevant Programme evaluation reports in due course.