Care home operators, housing-with-care providers, commissioners and technology suppliers have been given fresh direction on best practice in procuring digital alarm systems.
The guidance, Digital telecare commissioning guidelines: grouped living alarm devices, has been produced by telecoms consultancy FarrPoint for the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), and focuses on the ‘technical and service requirements that help ensure digitally enabled telecare services are safe, resilient and reliable for people who depend on them’.
The Department said it has been informed by ‘engagement with commissioners, providers, suppliers and sector partners, alongside an independent technical review of current telecare products, services and assurance approaches’.
Here’s everything you need to know at a glance.
Why has the guidance been published?
The guidance has been developed in response to the growing adoption of digital telecare, the ongoing switch away from analogue telecommunications, and increasing concerns around connectivity, interoperability and cyber security.
The DHSC said it has been designed to help commissioners and procurement teams make informed purchasing decisions when selecting alarm systems used in grouped living environments.
While the document is aimed primarily at commissioners, its recommendations will have implications across the care home supply chain, influencing product specifications, procurement requirements and future investment decisions.
What’s the main objective?
The main focus of the guidance is ensuring alarm systems remain operational when residents need them most.
The DHSC recommends that alarm systems should use secure internet-based connectivity for both alarm signalling and voice communication. Providers are encouraged to avoid products that still rely on traditional dial-up phone calls or legacy approaches that may create additional risks as analogue services are phased out.
The guidance also advises commissioners to only use suppliers that offer backup connectivity options such as dual SIMs, secondary broadband connections or mobile broadband failover, and which also have battery backup arrangements to maintain service continuity during power outages.
Interoperability is a procurement priority
One of the biggest challenges facing the telecare market has been the lack of consistent implementation of digital standards between different manufacturers and alarm receiving centres, the Department warns.
It therefore strongly encourages compliance with the alarm protocol NOW-IP standard (BS 8521-2:2020), which it says supports interoperability between equipment and monitoring services.
It adds that greater standardisation should help reduce installation complexity, lower operating costs and give providers more flexibility when changing suppliers or alarm receiving centres.
Cyber security moves centre stage
The guidance places significant emphasis on cyber security and secure communications.
Suppliers are expected to demonstrate that their systems use ‘transport layer security’ (TLS), ‘secure real-time transport protocol’ (SRTP) using AES-128 encryption to protect both alarm signalling and voice traffic between alarm devices and monitoring centres. These measures are intended to reduce the risk of data breaches and service disruption.
What should providers and suppliers do next?
The guidance is non-statutory and does not replace existing procurement frameworks or assurance schemes. However, it is likely to become an influential benchmark for future purchasing decisions.
It is also likely to be useful for care providers reviewing their digital migration plans, and assessment of whether their current alarm systems support modern internet-based connectivity and if they have any dependencies on legacy infrastructure.
The guidance will be also be useful for suppliers needing to demonstrate compliance with recognised standards, resilience requirements and cyber security measures during procurement exercises.
