A telehealth scheme developed in Blackpool has reduced hospital admissions among chronically ill patients by 75%.

NHS Blackpool and the monitoring centre Blackpool Vitaline have used telehealth home monitoring solutions from Tunstall Healthcare to help patients with COPD or heart disease live independently at home.

The 12-month pilot scheme led to a 75% reduction in hospital admissions, an 85% reduction in GP visits and a 43% reduction in home visits by community matrons to these patients.

The scheme used Tunstall's equipment to remotely monitor the vital signs of 13 patients under the case management of community matrons.

A survey found that 10 of the patients felt they had gained a better understanding of their medical condition and were contributing to its management, while 9 felt their quality of life had improved.

Margaret Seddon, Vitaline Manager, said: "We are keen to expand the service so that many more people can benefit from it. We are exploring the use of telehealth in obesity management and workplace health monitoring for employees who regularly need to visit their GP to check their blood pressure and other vital signs. We are very excited about the future potential of telehealth and the benefits it can bring to patients and the health service."

Blackpool Vitaline is a 24-hour monitoring centre that offers a range of services to help people live independently at home. It combines a triage facility using telehealth data, a rapid equipment installation service and experience of supporting patients at home with assistive technology.

The pilot has seen Blackpool Vitaline and NHS Blackpool working together to use telehealth services as part of integrated case management. There are plans to expand the service in order to support early hospital discharge and prevent readmissions.