Who is involved?

The project is led by Surrey & Borders NHS Foundation Trust working with the University of Surrey, Royal Holloway University of London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Heath Innovation Network, the Alzheimer’s Society, local Clinical Commissioning Groups, charities and ten technology companies.

The project will also have a user advisory forum made up of people who use health and social care services and their carers. It will also have an expert advisory forum, including representatives from industry, the voluntary sector and a Clinical Commissioning Group.

Patient population size

In Surrey 6,606 people have a formal diagnosis of dementia, although it is estimated that around 16,801 people have the condition. This project will work with around 700 people with dementia and their carers, with a view to scaling IoT for dementia across the 1.3m population of Surrey and NE Hampshire.

Description

People with dementia in Surrey and North East Hampshire will benefit from an innovative two year project that will use technology to enable them to live in their own homes for longer. Individuals and their carers will be provided with sensors, wearables, monitors and other devices, which will combine into an ‘Internet of Things’ to monitor their health at home. The information from these devices will help people take more control over their own health and wellbeing, with the insights and alerts enabling health and social care staff to deliver more responsive and effective services.

The ‘Test Bed’ project aims to prevent or delay the need for costly long term care in nursing homes. It also aims to reduce the need for unplanned hospital admissions or GP visits, thereby taking the pressure off other NHS services. In the long term it is hoped that this approach will improve the care and quality of life for vulnerable patients while helping to save the NHS money.

Website: www.sabp.nhs.uk/tihm