A report, commissioned by TEC Cymru and conducted by FarrPoint, has been released with in-depth information as to the telecare landscape of Wales.
Funded by the Welsh Government, TEC Cymru are responsible for supporting the shift to tech led care in Wales, with this report being a ‘state of current play’ for them.
A Telecare service is a remote service provided to care for citizens who are less physically mobile, able to provide reassurance, help and guidance via the phone or other assistive technologies like pendants or lifeline alarm units.
The research was conducted through a variety of data analysis and direct consultations and estimates there are currently over 77,000 telecare users in Wales, with over 91% of that figure aged over 65 and over 33% aged over 85.
However, the take up pf telecare varies across Wales, being delivered by Wales twenty-two councils, alongside numerous Housing Associations, with only 67% of respondents using 2025’s move from analogue to digital lines as an opportunity for digital transformation.
The report did highlight that the main driver for transformation across all Councils was a desire to improve and extend their services to a wider demographic, such as introducing proactive care or a full telehealth service with better interoperability between health and social care bodies.
As the switch over to digital approaches though a lot of support and investment will be needed to support telecare services into the new infrastructure.
Currently, only three out of twenty-two Welsh councils are using digital telecare tech and only 19% of a plan on how to manage the transition.
90% of councils have stated they feel unsupported during the transition with over 66% stating they have concerns around the migration.
Technology advances mean individuals can be supported in every stage of life. Telecare is an extremely positive way in which we can support the most vulnerable in society, allowing them to continue to live independent lives, often from the comfort of their own home. The digital switchover will be a hurdle for many of the telecare providers across Wales but it is one that they absolutely must overcome. As a result, more residents will be able to benefit from these types of services, providing the support and peace of mind to allow them to live independently in their own homes.
Richard Parkinson – Director, FarrPoint
This report provides the first analysis into the current state of the sector in Wales and will be crucial to reshaping services with the citizen in mind. It also highlights the disparity between the access, cost and type of services that citizens have depending upon where they live. FarrPoint has previously done similar work in Scotland and England, which brought a valuable perspective on the rollout of digital telecare from across the UK. TEC has the potential to help huge numbers of people continue to live independently, and we’re committed to improving services across Wales, helping as many people as possible access the care they need.
Aaron Edwards – TEC Cymru