Tunstall Healthcare says it has developed three tech solutions to respond to the current COVID-19 emergency and support contingency plans for similar scenarios in the future.

Tunstall Response, Tunstall Connect and Tunstall Integrated Care Platform will either support individuals in the care system directly, or provide solutions for NHS, Local Authorities and Housing Associations. 

 Gavin Bashar, MD of Tunstall Healthcare, said: “The Tunstall Response proactive call service utilises our existing community alarm service, which enables older and vulnerable people throughout the UK to easily get help in an emergency, using a home unit and worn pendant which connects them to a 24 hour response centre.

 “Through regular outbound calls, operators can check in, offer advice and appropriately escalate any deterioration in wellbeing to other service providers, particularly where people are in self-isolation or at high risk from COVID-19. We’re also introducing a smart device app, Tunstall Connect, that can enable Tunstall Response to keep in touch with vulnerable people who are self-isolating, without the need for a traditional community alarm system.”

 The Tunstall Integrated Care Platform enables remote health monitoring. Patients download an app which allows them to record vital signs readings and answer health questionnaires at home. Clinicians can then remotely review the data via an online portal, using a colour coded dashboard to identify the patients most in need of intervention.  This solution is proven to support management of chronic illness, and can provide support for patients recently discharged from hospital. Tunstall has also recently introduced specific COVID-19 and self-isolation questionnaires to support clinicians during the current crisis.

 “We’re also introducing advanced services to assist Local Authorities to run their standard community alarm services, that may be  experiencing challenges due to COVID-19, such as  limited staff due to self-isolation, or limited provisions for staff to work from home or due to staff contracting the virus itself, resulting in decreased capacity at a time of high demand,” says Bashar.

The news comes as Tunstall Healthcare has reportedly secured further borrowing as part of a recapitalisation and debt restructure to finance its move to a software company.