The National Health Service (NHS) could save over £1.2 billion by adopting non-intrusive lifestyle monitoring technology in social care, accordia new independent report.
The widespread use of this AI-driven technology is also projected to free up more than two million hospital bed days and create enough extra capacity to fund 10,000 additional full-time carers by 2035.
Commissioned by health-tech company Lilli, the report underscores the urgent need for digitization across the health and social care sector. It draws on data from several local authorities across the UK currently using the technology to address the growing care deficit and mounting social care crisis.
The report highlights the potential impact of proactive monitoring on hospital discharge, a critical issue where delayed discharge, or ‘bed blocking,’ results in significant costs for the NHS. The report estimates that earlier discharge enabled by the technology could save the NHS nearly £1.2 billion over the next decade, the equivalent of paying the salaries of 2,000 nurses.
Additionally, the report suggests that the adoption of monitoring technology could save councils £3 billion by 2035 by allowing more people to live independently at home longer, thereby avoiding the need for more expensive residential care. This could also alleviate the workforce crisis in the care sector by generating additional capacity equivalent to 10,000 extra care workers.
Lifestyle monitoring technology tracks patterns of behavior and key health indicators such as movement, eating habits, and bathroom activity, alerting carers to any changes. This allows care professionals to make accurate assessments and proactively address health issues before they require hospital treatment, with urinary tract infections identified as a key area where the technology could prevent admissions.
Economists at Policy Points, who produced the report, emphasize the significant savings and productivity gains that lifestyle monitoring technology could bring to both the NHS and social care. They describe it as a “digital dividend” that protects hospital resources while boosting carer productivity.
ALSO READ:UK: NEKO HEALTH PIONEERS AI-POWERED EARLY BODY DETECTOR IN LONDON
Kelly Hudson, CEO of Lilli, stressed the urgency of investing in technology to address the escalating care crisis. “The savings and productivity figures highlight the profound difference that an investment in technology now would have not just on the system but on the lives of people across the country,” she said.
Rebecca Andrew, Service Improvement Manager at Nottinghamshire County Council, echoed this sentiment, noting how the technology provides social care staff with real-time data that helps them respond quickly to changes in a person’s needs, reducing ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions.
As the report warns of an aging population that will place increasing demands on the health and care system, it calls for a swift overhaul of the system to prevent it from becoming unsustainable. Hudson urged the government to fulfill its promise to proactively address the current crisis by supporting the adoption of a technology-led approach to care.
