Wes Streeting has defended the timescale for reforming adult social care in England, promising to finally ‘grasp the nettle’ but saying it would take time.
The health and social care secretary announced on Friday, 3 January 2025 that an independent commission, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, will begin work in April with a final report published in 2028.
We’re not alone at Everon UK in our view that this timescale feels too long, and that while getting it right is important, the government must look at measures that can be implemented sooner.
The timeline at present is for Baroness Casey to report back initially by mid-2026 and identify critical issues and medium-term improvements. Phase two will look at how to organise care services and fund them for the future.
That will not report until 2028 – a year before the next general election. It will also be a year after analogue to digital switchover is due to take place with all that means for investment decisions being made by service commissioners now.
So, what’s the thinking? The government’s ultimate aim is the set-up of a new National Care Service able, the Secretary of State says, to “meet the needs of older and disabled people into the 21st Century” He denies the government is pushing social care reform into the long grass.
But, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that even if Labour win a second term and commits to the recommendations, it is likely we will be a third of the way through this century before we see any benefits coming through.
We agree with Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of health think-tank The King’s Fund and her view that the timescale ‘feels far too long.’ In an interview with Radio 4’s Today programme, she argued the government should ‘get on and do a lot of things [it] can now and then accelerate the timetable for further reform. Their full response can be read here.
In our view, a failure to act upon the most urgent pressures facing the social care system risks a missed opportunity for investment in services now. This raises the potential of health and social care providers taking quick fix solutions when long term answers are required.
The sad thing is that many of the solutions are already here, including game-changing intelligent cloud-based wireless technology that can lift the burden and costs of providing social care. Transformative decisions that could make a real difference in preventing hospital admissions and allowing more care to be given at home, risks being delayed once again.
Cloud-based wireless technology has been used for years to improve levels of customer service in many other sectors, using data, trends and insight to support improvements. We can do the same for social care, shifting services to a more preventative and sustainable model-of-care.
In September, last year Lord Darzi of Denham, speaking following his independent review of the NHS, warned that that the health service would ‘remain broken’ unless Labour quickly addressed the dire care situation.
This feels like another excuse to go around in the same circle. It’s right that we get it right but how will this latest commission be any different from the Dilnot review of 2011. Surely that report has recommendations that could be delivered or tweaked now, rather than waiting for the same answers to be given again in three years’ time.
Seeking cross-party support for the commission and its outcomes is good, but we should already be there. A national consensus exists now, there can be no more excuse for delay. Those of us experienced in this sector know what needs to be done.
If we are to wait again, we hope all politicians do finally come together to find a real and workable solution and put party politics aside in the national interest. This is too important a task for political point scoring. We can’t go through this again.
In our view, technology needs to be adopted more consistently and in a way that supports the wider healthcare eco-system, including supported housing. This will ensure the real early warning signs for health deterioration are recognised and allow potential cost benefits and savings to be realised across both the health and social care sector.
At some point we hope our voices will finally be heard, and action that has the potential to transform both the NHS and social care across England is finally taken, and not quietly forgotten once again.
Everon works directly in the UK with commissioners of grouped or supported housing services – from housing associations to care home networks, local authorities to integrated care boards.
We specialise in cloud-based wireless technology that analyses data to provide insight for early detection of health issues. Everon has supported the likes of Clarion Housing, Hyde Housing, Community Housing and Jewish Care, working in continued partnership on the digital transformation of their estates.
To find out more about how Everon can support your organisation, contact our UK Sales Director Mark Smith – mark.smith@everon.net or book a consultation and we’ll be in touch.
AT Today is a leading publication for health and social care professionals interested in the latest news on assistive technology.
So, it was good to see them publish a feature this month on Peter Kerly, managing director for Everon in the UK. You can read the article in full on the AT Today website.
They asked him a series of questions to draw out a typical day in the life of a leading technology enabled care (TEC) supplier – not that any day is typical. It’s a busy time in a rapidly changing technology landscape.
Questions ranged from the kinds of assistive technologies Everon works with to the fully digital cloud-based wireless grouped living and home care solutions the company provides.
It was also a great opportunity for Peter to say where the sector is heading, including the shift to more data-driven, person-centred care.
To find out more about how Everon can support your organisation, and share emerging good practice through like-minded partnerships please contact our UK Sales Director Mark Smith – mark.smith@everon.net or book a consultation and we’ll be in touch.
Everon UK has joined techUK, the growing membership organisation that brings people, companies and organisations together to realise what digital technology can achieve through shaping policy, accelerating innovation and developing new markets.
As the European market leader in digital grouped assisted living solutions, Everon UK is championing the transition to a data-driven preventative model of care that allows care givers to detect issues early through pinpointing changes in behaviour. This aligns with TechUK’s ongoing mission to showcase how technology can tackle challenges facing society today.
Based in Kent, Everon UK has used 2024 to pursue strategic partnerships with exciting innovators like Howz located at Manchester Science Park to develop intelligent technology solutions that will power the next generation of care, allowing more people to live independently for longer.
Peter Kerly, Managing Director, Everon UK, said:
“We are delighted to announce our latest partnership as a new member of techUK, and look forward to playing our part in their mission to show just what digital technology can achieve. For us, that will involve transforming the wider health and care system, reducing hospital stays and spiralling costs for care home and emergency admissions.”
“This is a time of significant pressures on social care and health care, in terms of both capacity and cost, set against the backdrop of a demographic time bomb caused by a growing older population. For us, the future lies in a technology driven, preventative model of care, and we look forward to working closely with techUK and other partners to showcase and realise that potential.”
Ed Bevan, Head of SME Engagement at techUK, said:
"We are thrilled to welcome Everon UK to techUK. Everon's pioneering work in developing a data-driven, preventative care model is transforming the way we approach health and social care.
“Their innovative solutions in early issue detection and behaviour monitoring align seamlessly with techUK's mission to showcase how digital technology can tackle society’s most pressing challenges. We look forward to supporting Everon’s journey as they collaborate with like-minded partners to shape the future of intelligent, proactive care solutions."
The budget statement included an additional £22.6 billion for day-day-spending for the Department of Health and Social Care, more than £2 billion capital investment in NHS technology and digital, and £520 million for a Life Science Innovative Manufacturing Fund.
All investment is welcome. The question for those of us operating in the technology enabled care sector is where the money will be spent. If there’s one takeaway from the recent past, it is that - without reform and supported culture change - no amount of money will be enough. It’s the model and environment that promotes opportunity for change.
We know some of the detail. In the pre-budget build-up, the Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged £1.5bn in capital investment for new surgical hubs, diagnostic scanners and beds across the NHS estate. There’s the also commitment to improving the digital infrastructure so that two million extra appointments are available and improving how services are commissioned.
This will keep acute care within our hospitals ticking over, bringing down waiting lists, increasing appointments and improving patient outcomes. What it won’t do yet, is deliver the person-centred model of integrated care that will make the most difference in reducing pressures on the NHS and the wider community health and social care system.
The key to success will be to keep people out of hospital, both pre- and post-admission in the first place or put the steps in place to enable clinicians to transition patients more quickly to community care settings. For reforms promising a switch to early intervention through a preventative model of care, we will have to wait until next year for the government to confirm its plans and start to deliver.
To meet the ambitions of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) seeking to implement digital transformation strategies, this must include investment in a true connected approach to technological solutions, and a more joined up, co-ordinated health, housing and social care system. This approach will start to put the community supported healthcare agenda back on track, enabling preventative care and allowing people to live independently for longer.
Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has already spoken of his focus being on shifting from analogue to digital and that is where companies like Everon UK can support though the cloud based, digital wireless solutions managing not only the significant risks to independent living such as falls, but continued assessment and activities of daily living at all stages of the patient journey. This approach supports a true connected approach and single portal of data trend and insight, to support decision making and continued improvements in services to the most vulnerable. We’re ready for the call. With digital switchover for all Assisted Living systems using analogue technology less than two years away, the deadline is looming fast.
We’re doing all we can at Everon UK to positively influence the health, housing and social care environment to be more proactive in their approach. Digital Cloud-based technology can play a key role in reducing health inequalities including keeping people safe when they transition from hospital to community settings – or support decisions to step in before their health deteriorates.
The Everon Ecosystem is a Cloud-based wireless, end-to-end digital solution managing daily risks through alarms and alerts for person-centred independent living, a true connected approach to data trend and insight which supports our preventative approach. A platform managing health and social care needs from one platform, no matter the person’s needs. The intelligent use of data is key to delivering a proactive model supported by the most appropriate interventions.
Our partnerships are already helping to prevent health, care and housing services from being overwhelmed. The data and insights that our solutions provide are leading to a more proactive service delivery. It’s the future of care that changes with you and we’re delivering it now.
To find out more about how Everon can support your organisation, and share emerging good practice through like-minded partnerships please contact our UK Sales Director Mark Smith – mark.smith@everon.net or book a consultation and we’ll be in touch.
