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New technology is helping to change the face of social care for people across Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, to improve care and enable people to stay independent in their own home for as long as possible.
About the programme
Our Digitising Social Care programme is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and is being delivered through NHS England’s Digital Policy Unit.
The three-year programme, which commenced in April 2022, is focused on delivering the government’s commitments to support the digital transformation of the adult social care sector which were set out in the 2021 white paper, People at the Heart of Care.
Update: April 2025
The original NHS England (NHSE) three-year Digitising Social Care (DiSC) programme came to an end in March 2025, and NHSE is now working on the outline programme for 2025/26 and beyond. Read more on the national Digitising Social Care website.
Over the next few months, the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) DiSC Team will evaluate the projects that are coming to the end of their pilot term and agree next steps, alongside the continued delivery of projects from separate funding streams.
Having been recognised as one of the country’s leading ICSs in digitising social care, we have been invited to work with NHSE as a supporting partner to help develop the forthcoming national programme. As part of this work we will be engaging with the local authorities in BLMK to help shape and test how the national plans will be delivered locally.
Further details will be shared in due course. For further information, please email blmkicb.digital.socialcare@nhs.net
How will the DiSC programme help?
- Safer care: Bringing social care and health data and care records together in one place reduces the risk of errors, duplication and lost information. It also enables automated alerts and reminders for carers.
- Improved resident care: People will get better care that’s built around their needs. That’s because care staff will have the information they need, when they need it – and people who use services and their carers will be more involved in the conversations that count.
- More time to care: The reduced administration and more automated processes will increase productivity and release time to care – resulting in better experiences for residents and more meaningful interactions.
- Remote monitoring: Using digital tools to measure vital signs removes the need for frequent check-ups or disturbances to daily routines. It enables residents to stay in their own home for longer – safe in the knowledge that medical teams will know if issues arise and react accordingly.
- Falls prevention: Fewer people will fall and suffer from any injuries – whether they live in their own home or residential care.
- Better communication: Streamlined processes and faster decision-making – care staff can contact clinicians quickly to discuss any concerns or trends such as weight loss or changes to vital signs.
- Reduced pressure on ambulances: There will be less need to call ambulances, as people receiving residential care or home support will become safer and have more technology to help them stay that way. This will also help our ambulance and accident and emergency services as not as many people will need their help.
- Fewer hospital admissions: For those who need a hospital stay, digital records will enable quicker and safer discharges or transfers to other services. It will also be much easier to arrange temporary or permanent care to support them to leave as soon as they’re well enough.
- Better for families: Increased satisfaction and better experiences through more interactions with care staff who can share test results and photos. Assurance that queries can be investigated in detail as all the data is available.
- Better for care providers: What we’re doing will also help the organisations that provide care. Using technology will mean they can improve the care they give and the accuracy of their records, while saving time, effort and costs.
- Improved digital literacy: And to help them make the most of what’s on offer, there’ll be training sessions so staff can learn new skills. Managers will see the satisfaction and confidence of their staff grow.
Contact us at:
blmkicb.digital.socialcare@nhs.net