Three ways to help scale technology in adult social care
Researcher
The adult social care system is in crisis. Our ageing population is living longer with more complex and demanding clinical needs. All the while, local authorities — who commission and provide the majority of social care — are on the precipice of financial collapse.
The situation is dire. And the Government is yet to take immediate action. As with previous Governments, the ‘social care can’ has once again been kicked down the road — with a Commission set to be published in 2028. System-wide reform is unlikely to take place any time. Yet, without reform or innovation, the crisis will only worsen. Thankfully, innovative technologies— with already proven outcomes — have the potential to significantly improve the delivery of social care in the short term, without making huge dents in already paper-thin local government budgets.
For instance, remote, AI driven monitoring technologies can help to optimise care packages so that they are more cost efficient, enabling people to stay independent for longer, and provide peace of mind to family, loved ones, and care workers. Technological innovations in social care can also deliver substantial cost savings at a system level. Given that a significant amount of bed blocking cases are caused by waits for care beds and at home support, technology such as remote monitoring and virtual wards can provide a safety net as nurses and carers can monitor patients’ conditions from their own home, which thus enables earlier discharge without compromising quality of care.
Yesterday, Re:State published a new paper exploring the way that these technologies can be adopted and scaled so that benefits can be realised faster.
Here are three things that can be done now to save the sector from collapse and ensure technology can be adopted and scaled to achieve a win-win-win for people, the NHS, and local government.
- Practitioners, commissioners, the technology industry, charities and academic organisations should collaborate to provide more substantial guidance on the role and use of data in technology.
Despite there being numerous effective technologies already on the market, many commissioners of adult social care are not actually aware of what is on offer. And furthermore, many social care workers and patients are wary of technology. Ensuring certified, co-produced guidance on data and tech is there will help foster confidence in the use of technologies and encourage more people to use them.
- Local authorities should support their workforce to improve their digital skills and enhance their capabilities.
A lot of social care staff lack the digital skills and confidence needed to use technology effectively. Encouraging staff to upskill can help to ensure that they can use technology effectively, improve patient outcomes, and even make the profession more attractive to others.
- Local authorities and NHS Trusts should collaborate in the procurement process through the use of joint bids.
The benefits of using technology in social care extend system wide - including to hospitals and NHS trusts. Therefore, the costs and risks of adopting new technologies should be shared through between NHS trusts and local authorities. Given recent emphasis on integration and the introduction of ICBs, this should further help to embed system-wide healthcare integration.
To better understand how technology can benefit the whole system and what ‘quick-wins’ can be taken to scale the use of technology — read our new paper!