Health Minister visits Telemonitoring NI Centre

Date published: 3 March 2016

Mr Hamilton said: “The opportunity to speak to staff here at the centre has given me a much clearer insight into how the service operates and interacts with staff on a day-to-day basis. The support it provides gives patients and their carers reassurance, as well as more confidence in managing their conditions.”

Telemonitoring NI enables sufferers of long term conditions such as diabetes, heart and respiratory conditions and post-stroke management to have a daily check kept on their vital signs such as blood pressure and pulse. Service-users take their readings at home using a small electronic hub, and then transmit them to the telemonitoring centre where they are reviewed by a team of professional nurses.

The centre also runs telecare services across Northern Ireland, whereby sensors are used to enable people to continue living independently at home with reduced risks associated with falls and other emergencies.

The Minister added: “There can be no question that in the context of our ageing population, we need to be maximising the potential of solutions such as telemonitoring, telecare and other assistive technologies which can support independent living. To be fully effective in this, we need to work in partnership with other agencies, housing providers, councils and the community and voluntary sectors.”

The Telemonitoring NI service is run by the TF3 consortium which comprises Fold Telecare, Tunstall Healthcare and S3.

Concluding Minister Hamilton said: “The TF3 consortium must be commended for their efforts in recent years to develop and grow this service, which has undoubtedly improved the lives of a great many people here in Northern Ireland.”