Extending digital telecare services to more elderly people could give UK care providers more than £14 billion in benefits by the end of the decade.

Economic modelling from FarrPoint estimated that there are currently two million people using telecare services in the UK.

However, an additional 800,000 could benefit by extending digital telecare across the country, according to the latest ONS population projections.

This figure is expected to increase to nearly one million people by 2030 and could result in further strain to the already challenged sector unless action is taken by care providers to increase uptake of telecare services.

FarrPoint assessed the benefits and cost savings and found that encouraging more over-75s to use such services could result in huge advantages.

When broken down by country, increased uptake could generate benefits of £12.3bn in England, £1.1bn in Scotland, £717m in Wales and £370m in Northern Ireland over the same time – the equivalent of more than £10,000 per service user, per year.

Commenting on the data, Matthew Izatt-Lowry, senior economist at FarrPoint, said: “These numbers make for sobering reading for health and social care departments up and down the country.

“As a nation, we’re facing huge demographic changes, and by 2030 there is expected to be more than 7.3 million people aged over 75 in the UK. This will place even more pressure on the public purse and on the social care system in the UK which is already more stretched than ever before.

“Care providers must act now to help avoid the looming care crisis and consider how technology can help the sector cope with increasing demand.”

The UK’s elderly population is set to increase by a quarter by 2030, and care providers responsible for tech-enabled care services are being urged to ensure the benefits of telecare are understood and promoted further in a bid to drive service up take.

Telecare services offer remote care for citizens, typically the elderly and those who are physically less able, providing reassurance and allowing them to live independently via various assistive technologies.

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According to Digital Telecare for Scottish Local Government, adoption of digital telecare services could change the lives of people across the country.

Benefits can be offered across the social care system, including delaying residential care admission, improving social inclusion, wellbeing, and community resilience, alleviating bed blocking and hospital admissions.

FarrPoint analysis found that more than two thirds of councils (67%) are using the move from analogue to digital technology to enhance their telecare service offering.

Changes in demographics, a desire to improve and extend services, and better integration between health and social care bodies are being named as the main drivers for change across the UK.

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