Tunstall chosen for Australia care work

Tunstall Healthcare has been selected by the state government of New South Wales in Australia as one of a panel of suppliers for its Connecting Care programme, a new, large-scale initiative to help people with chronic diseases enjoy an improved quality of life.

The programme, which is being co-ordinated by New South Wales Health (NSW Health), will use telehealth systems to support residents with long-term health conditions including diabetes, coronary artery disease and hypertension.

Over the next four years, the Connecting Care programme has the potential to support 43,000 people, with up to 6,000 using telehealth services to monitor their health daily from their own homes.

NSW’s publicly funded, state-wide initiative will link general practice, specialist medical, acute hospital, and community health services to deliver integrated care for people with complex chronic diseases.

The telehealth programme will enable health staff to monitor patients’ and respond quickly to any changes in their condition.

Worldwide, Tunstall’s products help more than 2.5 million elderly people and sufferers from conditions such as dementia and heart disease to live independently.

The products include sensors that alert a response centre when a vulnerable person falls, or leaves their water or gas cooker on.

Gil Baldwin, the chief executive of Tunstall Healthcare, which is based in Whitley Bridge, near Selby, said: “Telehealth has a significant impact in helping to avoid unplanned hospital admiss- ions.

“It also helps people with long-term conditions become more informed about their health, reducing anxiety and greatly improving quality of life.”