Tunstall secures major telehealth contract

Tunstall is part of a consortium which won an £18m, six-year deal from the European Centre for Connected Health (ECCH), part of the Public Health Agency of Northern Ireland.

More than 8,000 patients will be helped by the TFS consortium, which also includes Ford Housing Association and S3 Group. It is thought to be one of the largest telehealth projects in Europe.

Tunstall, based in Whitley Bridge near Selby, develops technology which allows patients to self-test their vital signs from the comfort of their homes, without the need for a visit from a healthcare worker. The data gathered is then automatically sent to central computers, allowing doctors to pick up on warning signs and monitor patients’ progress.

“The development of remote telemonitoring is an important element in the modernisation of the Northern Ireland health and social care delivery system,” said Eddie Ritson, programme director at ECCH.

“The use of this technology will give people more information, and hence control, over their health while supporting them to live independently in their own homes for longer.

“Families and carers will also benefit from the reassurance that chronic health conditions are being closely monitored on an ongoing basis.”

The consortium will work with all five of Northern Ireland’s health and social care trusts.

Telemonitoring allows patients to avoid travel and perform some basic healthcare functions for themselves, letting health professionals to look after vulnerable people without the need for frequent face-to-face consultations.

Jon Lowe, TF3 managing director, said: “This is a truly large-scale initiative aimed at modernising health and care delivery in Northern Ireland, improving outcomes for people with chronic diseases.

“We are honoured that ECCH has chosen us as a long-term partner. The managed services that the TF3 consortium will provide are key to minimising unplanned hospital admissions, accelerating discharge and enabling clinicians to improve patient care through remote monitoring.”

Dr Eddie Rooney from the Public Health Agency said: “The use of this technology will give people more information, and hence control, over their health while supporting them to live independently in their own homes for longer.

“Families and carers will also benefit from the reassurance that chronic health conditions are being closely monitored on an ongoing basis.”

Private equity-owned Tunstall’s products help around 2.5m people across the globe.

It was bought by private equity firm Charterhouse Capital Partners in March 2008 for £514m from Bridgepoint Capital. It subsequently went through a period of expansion into Asia Pacific and Continental Europe.

However, in 2009 it was forced to cut jobs and parted company with its chief executive James Buckley after sales slumped.

The group’s communications director Ali Rogan said despite pressure on healthcare providers to cut costs, the Northern Ireland deal shows the public sector is still prepared to spend on its systems.

“Certainly there’s an issue with uncertainty but there’s still a determination to do this,” she said.

“There are very few options to keep up with demand in this era of reducing budgets. We are finding that telehealth solutions are still on the table.”

The Leeds office of law firm DLA Piper advised ECCH on the procurement.

Lead partner and healthcare specialist Mark Vipan said: “This was a complex project involving large scale delivery of proven technology alongside a new clinical service which will establish one of the largest telehealth systems of its kind in Europe to date.

“Our team worked very closely with ECCH to provide extensive advice and support throughout the procurement process and was heavily involved in the commercial and clinical governance issues surrounding the project.”

Helping to protect vulnerable

TUNSTALL Healthcare’s telehealth systems and services work by remotely connecting patients with healthcare professionals.

Its telehealth devices allow patients to self-check vital signs such as blood pressure and heartbeat, using simple pieces of kit.

These devices are wirelessly connected to a hub unit, which is itself connected to a phone line.

Data is then automatically transmitted to central servers for medics to monitor patients.

Tunstall’s systems automatically raise the alarm if a patient’s health is deteriorating, allowing early intervention and reducing hospital visits.

The group’s telecare systems allow the real-time, 24-hour monitoring of patients.

They include fall detectors, bed and chair occupancy sensors, panic alarms, property exit sensors and movement detectors.