Response A1346280

Response to request for information

Reference

A1346280

Response date

25 January 2022

Request

• Does your organisation presently provide a Telecare operations centre to monitor personal alarms (eg Falls alarms) for your local vulnerable population?
  • If the answer is No or Uncertain - is this a service you may consider offering in the future?
• Do you use an external provider or other government body or private organisation for alarm responder/monitoring services? If so, can you please detail.
  • If an external provider, please give name of monitoring centre/ provider with any contract start/end date & contact details if known.
• What type of devices are used in the community? If you can name device supplier/manufacturer this would be appreciated.
• Do your analogue devices use any of the following protocols?
• Are you presently preparing for the digital switchover?
  • If the answer is yes, have you any plans to move to a digital platform?
• Please feel free to add any additional comments regarding this process and any concerns/ issues you may have about this process… if this is applicable to your organisation.
• Could you please indicate which software platform is used in the monitoring centre you use?
  • As regards the above – do you know when the contract end date is &/or when the software platform used will be under review?
• Have you any concerns about your present service? Some possible common concerns listed below, but please feel free to comment.
• Any additional comments re the above possible concerns?
• What tender framework/ portal does your organisation use for procurement re Telecare devices/services and software?
• Who is the main person(s)/ decision maker (s) or team – who would be responsible for your Telecare monitoring centre and/or telecare services in Northern Ireland - name/title/direct dial number/email?
• Any other comments as deemed useful to this enquiry?

Response

• Does your organisation presently provide a Telecare operations centre to monitor personal alarms (eg Falls alarms) for your local vulnerable population? Yes
  
  • If the answer is No or Uncertain - is this a service you may consider offering in the future?
• Do you use an external provider or other government body or private organisation for alarm responder/monitoring services? If so, can you please detail. Yes
  
  • If an external provider, please give name of monitoring centre/ provider with any contract start/end date & contact details if known.

    Tunstall Healthcare (UK) Ltd, Whitley Lodge, Whitley Bridge, Selby, North Yorkshire, DN14 0HR

    Contract Start Date 1/6/18 to 31/5/23

• What type of devices are used in the community? If you can name device supplier/manufacturer this would be appreciated. Mostly analogue.

  Tunstall Lifeline Vi and a Vi+ which allows other equipment to be used (bed sensors etc).

• Do your analogue devices use any of the following protocols? Unsure
• Are you presently preparing for the digital switchover? Yes
  
  • If the answer is yes, have you any plans to move to a digital platform? Yes
• Please feel free to add any additional comments regarding this process and any concerns/ issues you may have about this process… if this is applicable to your organisation. Proposed migration to digital SMARTHUBS
• Could you please indicate which software platform is used in the monitoring centre you use? Tunstall PNC
  
  • As regards the above – do you know when the contract end date is &/or when the software platform used will be under review? 31 March 2023
• Have you any concerns about your present service? Some possible common concerns listed below, but please feel free to comment.
  • The analogue to digital switch-over and how suppliers can play catch up & do you see disruption/challenges in replacing older analogue devices? Yes
  • Alarm signals - failure rates. Yes
  • Concerns re moving from platform supplier & reprogramming individual units. Yes
• Any additional comments re the above possible concerns? No
• What tender framework/ portal does your organisation use for procurement re Telecare devices/services and software? Northern Housing Consortium
• Who is the main person(s)/ decision maker (s) or team – who would be responsible for your Telecare monitoring centre and/or telecare services in Northern Ireland - name/title/direct dial number/email?

  Donna Dwyer, Strategic Housing Manager, ddwyer@rushcliffe.gov.uk 0115 9148275

• Any other comments as deemed useful to this enquiry? No