Telecare system provider Mediagrids has confirmed to Telecare Aware that it is subject of a winding up order from Inland Revenue. This is despite cost-cutting measures, including redundancies, during the past year. So, despite the UK Government’s policies of encouraging telecare and supporting businesses through the recession, a Government agency is pulling the plug on the only broadly-based, broadband, video conferencing telecare system with potential to link users with not just telecare and telehealth monitoring but with online services, family and other users with shared interests.
The provider of a similar system, Netherlands-based Impact Valley, also went bust in the summer of 2007 and, like Mediagrids, lack of cash was the immediate cause. However, the root cause seems to be that commissioners and service operators are reluctant to dip a toe into innovative waters, which is a huge shame.
A Mediagrids spokesperson said “I think we were 4-5 years ahead of the market. Selling to the public sector and NHS is a nightmare and, whilst they all loved what we showed them, nobody was prepared to take the slightest risk to commit to trying it or spend any money with us…[they] have no need or desire to save money by adopting innovative software.”
Sadly, this will ring a bell with many UK equipment and service providers. It is a very common experience that it takes two years for initial local interest to evolve into a trial order. If anyone can throw any light on the reasons for this ultra-conservative mindset, please leave a comment.
> Paralysis by analysis trap – discussion at the expense of action
> The knowing-doing trap – failing to execute the decision despite knowing it needs to be done
> The ignorance and complacency trap – resulting from a culture of blame, low responsibility, bad delegation and/or poor communication
> The anchor/recent information trap – giving disproportionate weight to the first piece of information received, colouring the remaining data, regardless of its relative importance
> The status quo/prudence trap – maintaining the current situation and not venturing out of our comfort zone
> The sunk-cost trap – repeating past mistakes
> The confirming evidence trap – seeking and biasing information to justify an existing decision and to discount opposing information
> The over-confidence trap – overestimating the accuracy of forecasts
> The framing trap – when a problem or situation is incorrectly stated
Wow, that’s quite a list! And I guess you only need to fall into two of them for it to become almost impossible to move.
I would be very interested to know where the IP now lies for this product. I was involved in the early trials with itelecare and Mediagrids and believe very strongly that the technology has a market (even if it is dormant right now).
Sorry to hear about this, it was set to change many lives for the better and incubate a whole new industry in remote tele-care that will revolutionaize the care industry. It provides independence to people, who otherwise become institutionalised, 10, 20 years before they really need 7×24 institutional care.
I own the IP as founder of mediagrids. You can contact me on this E-Mail address.