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New tech for NHS to help protect elderly from falls

Inhealthcare will provide the digital infrastructure for a new NHS service to help protect people from the devastating impact of falls. The company has won a place on a framework agreement across the East Midlands population area of 4.6 million people. 

Inhealthcare will help identify, monitor and manage those at risk of falling and deliver better care for those who have suffered a fall. 

Falls are the most common cause of death from injury in the over-65s and cost the NHS more than £2bn a year, according to Public Health England.

Bryn Sage, chief executive at Inhealthcare, said: “Falls can be devastating for individuals and often cause the loss of independence and increased isolation. Our technology can be used to gather and help analyse data to identify who is at risk of falling and then help prevent them from suffering these catastrophic events. 

“We can empower people who have suffered falls to manage their conditions at home and maintain healthy independent lives. We strongly believe in the region-wide approach to digital health which empowers patients, supports over-stretched staff and increases capacity and productivity.”

The East Midlands Academic Health Science Network framework is intended to reduce procurement timescales and costs for health and social care organisations. It will initially be used by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. 

Andrea Baker, falls programme manager, said: “We are excited by the potential improvement in prevention and care for the portion of our population at risk of falls. The ability to rapidly engage with suppliers while ensure value for money is important to delivering effective service transformation.”

Chris Hart, commercial director at EMAHSN, said: “I look forward to the companies awarded places on the framework benefiting from easier access to NHS markets and to the rapid delivery of solutions which can deliver real benefits to both patients and the NHS.”