As the NHS and social care services come under increasing pressure, using technology to provide more effective – and cost effective – ways to support families and communities is an absolute must.
This means looking at how our statutory services – GPs, hospitals, community health and social care – can support you through technology. It also means looking at everyday technology solutions – things that you can find and buy yourself - that help you manage care and caring.
Carers UK is working hard on both fronts to make sure carers are included in the drive to explore innovation and find new ways of providing health and care support.
Policy
Carers UK is working with policy partners – NHS England, the National Information Board, Public Health England – to ensure that they think of carers when they are developing digital services like electronic health records, online GP and pharmacy services and patient and carer information.
Carers UK sits on bodies like the Telecare Services Association and Digital Health and Care Alliance to make sure people developing, producing and supplying technology products and services are thinking about how they can benefit carers.
Products and services
Carers UK is also working with funding partners – Innovate UK, Nominet Trust, Nesta – and industry partners – Tunstall, Buddi, Microsoft – to create our own new products and services that can support carers, but also to promote other products and services we believe can deliver a good service and value for money.
Find out more about what Carers UK offers here.
Research
Carers UK has carried out extensive research, through our own members and with the general public, that shows that many people just don’t know about how technology can support caring. They don’t know what technology products and services are available - what they are, how they can help, and where to find them.
Even though many people use technology in lots of ways to make their lives easier – internet shopping, finding information, online banking – they just don’t think of using technology when it comes to care. However, our research also shows that once the benefits of technology-enabled care and support are explained to people, 85% would use it to support health, care and caring.
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