encouraging news and lessons learned that should help any organisation about to embark on a sizeable project of this kind. Most of the length comprises the detailed results tables and analysis, leaving the narrative at a much more reader-friendly length.
If you need a reason for taking some time out to read it, head for the Executive Summary heading ‘What Happened?’ on page 15 of the PDF (1.4MB). It’s good reading through and through.
However, I suspect that when they read it, some Telecare Aware readers with long memories will be pondering the basic ethical dilemma: do good ends justify doubtful means?
They will recall that, pre-dating the NHS PASA Telecare National Framework Agreement, the procurement of equipment, technical support and training from the manufacturer for this £1+ million project was driven through without an open competitive tender. Equipment from the USA was commissioned which needed further work to meet UK standards at the time (it even says so in the report, Section 6.2.5, page 60) and non-CE marked equipment was initially installed in people’s homes. Furthermore, the purchase happened after staff from Kent County Council had travelled for an exploratory trip to the USA to visit the Veteran’s Administration project and its equipment supplier – which became Kent’s supplier – Viterion TeleHealthcare, a division of Bayer.