Mersey Care plans further rollout of Covid-19 remote care

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust plans to roll-out remote technology that allows Covid-19 patients to be cared for in their own homes.

Following a successful pilot of Covid Oximetry@Home in April, the mental health trust began accepting referrals from primary care last month and aims to do the same for A&E patients soon.

The innovation is in partnership with Docobo and part of Mersey Care’s Telehealth Service. It is expected to monitor up to 500 Liverpool patients a day through an app on smartphones or a tablet.

Joe Rafferty, Mersey Care’s chief executive, said: “The great thing about this is that it enables patients either with Covid-19 or those suspected of having it, to be cared for in the community rather than adding to the pressure on hospital beds.

“It allows the nurse, carer or patient to record vital signs such as blood oxygen levels that can help identify silent hypoxia at home and any signs of deterioration in their condition so we can get appropriate medical care to them.”

Since the start of the pandemic, the Telehealth Service has expanded its operation and increased from monitoring 1,700 patients per day to having the capability to offer support to 5,000+ patients per day.

The Covid Oximetry@Home service is currently available to all Liverpool CCG patients and Mersey Care is working with other CCGs from across Cheshire and Merseyside to set up referral pathways to support their patients.

Rob Halhead, chief operating officer at Docobo, added: “For us at Docobo it’s a privilege to work with the NHS team in Liverpool and across the region. This collaboration is delivering better health care and is helping the whole ecosystem to cope with the demands and pressures of the pandemic.

“This technology-enabled service means people stay at home and go to hospital less often. Early signs of deterioration being detected leads to early intervention.”