A newly published policy paper titled ‘Innovating for Independence: A win-win for health and social care’ has issued a stark warning that without innovation, the crisis in adult social care is set to worsen.
The paper, published by the think tank Reform, highlights substantial evidence where technologies like home care monitoring can alleviate strain on health and care systems and generate rapid savings.
However, the paper identifies significant barriers, including poor visibility of effective solutions and inadequate, piecemeal funding, that are hindering the adoption of these technologies. Based on interviews with professionals from the NHS and local councils, the policy paper addresses the systemic benefits technology is already providing, such as:
- Substantial cost savings
- Enabling individuals to retain their independence longer
- Reducing stress and workload for practitioners
- Faster discharge and capacity freeing in the NHS
Despite these benefits, the paper points out that much of the technology remains confined to small-scale pilots and is not being scaled effectively, preventing system-wide impact.
The policy paper outlines several ‘quick win’ actions for central and local governments ahead of the Casey Commission's publication in 2028. These recommendations include:
- Development of a Repository: Establishing a repository of evidenced solutions managed by an umbrella organisation to enhance local authorities' confidence in technology.
- Co-Produced Guidance: Creating co-produced guidance on implementing solutions to ensure successful scaling.
- Joint Bids and Funding Consolidation: Encouraging joint bids from the NHS and local authorities to share costs and benefits, and consolidating all funding pots to provide more substantial ‘seed funding’.
The upcoming Spending Review presents an opportunity to offer certainty to local authorities regarding funding for the next three years.
Head of Health at Reform Think Tank, Rosie Beacon, said:
“This paper underlines the fact that smart deployment of technology at scale is crucial to ensuring that system-wide benefits can be achieved. That means overcoming barriers to change, through co-ordinated action by central and local government and social care providers.
“Achieving a more rapid uptake of the existing technologies means greater independence and more personalised care for individuals, and greater capacity in both social care and the NHS to care for people. A double dividend.”
The policy paper highlights well-evidenced technologies like Lilli, a lifestyle monitoring technology for home care. Lilli helps individuals live independently for longer by discreetly monitoring behaviour patterns and trends. It supports local authorities in right-sizing care packages, reducing waiting lists, and keeping people out of residential care and hospitals. Notably, councils like Medway have seen significant benefits, generating £1.23 million in net savings in one year and saving 25% of care costs per service user in Reading.
This policy paper underscores the urgent need for innovation and technology adoption to address the adult social care crisis effectively. With strategic actions and targeted funding, substantial system-wide improvements can be achieved, ensuring better care and independence for individuals while alleviating pressures on health and care systems.
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