There seems to be no strategy to so much government spending. Telecare is a case in point, where much spin is promoting it as a major solution to the growing cost of the aging population. Throwing £80M at Councils and call it the Preventative Technology Grant has resulted in very little preventative technology, just thousands of more panic buttons bought to soak up the budget! To make telecare work for the benefit of patients and carers, the financial and administrative regime needs to be reorganised to enable it to happen.

Health and Social Care need to work much closer together. Financial arrangements should promote remote care rather than militate against it. This should be done before wasting money on ill thought through ideas.