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Annual Review 25/26
2025/26 highlights from Clare Steward, Programme Director
The focus for 2025/6 has been on project delivery across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) Integrated Care System (ICS) with all NHS England funded pilots meeting or exceeding targets and demonstrating measurable improvements in care quality, efficiency, wellbeing and with evidence of impact on the wider system.
The strategic focus has centred on BLMK Digitising Social Care (DiSC) Programme Team working as a national development partner with NHS England to influence national thinking on scaling falls prevention and sensor‑based technologies and co-producing a national discovery paper.
On a local level, the team continued to engage with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to understand current challenges and opportunities and work in partnership to identify shared priorities.
In partnership with the local authorities, the team have also co‑produced the BLMK Neighbourhood DiSC Strategy (2025–28) and DiSC Delivery Plan to align shared priorities across BLMK with the national direction.
2025/26 delivery and achievements
The BLMK ICS DiSC programme received a total investment of £53,000 from NHS England in 2025/6 and was further funded by Better Care Fund (BCF) contributions totalling £238,376 from each of the four local authorities to sustain the programme due to its recognised added value.
The estimated Return on Investment (RoI) / Savings from four projects* over three years is £6,436,847 from an investment of £2,265,273 delivering an average of 2.8 : 1 return (RoIs ranged from 6.2:1 to 1.25:1).
* MiiCare, Raizer Chair care home and Raizer Chair dom care, DSCR
The BLMK DiSC Team have:
- Worked alongside NHS England as a development partner over the past 12 months to co-produce a nationally supported discovery paper which informed a business case to maximise the spread of sensor-based falls prevention and detection technologies across the adult social care sector, specifically through calling out the local authority commissioning pathway requirements.
- Worked closely with NHS England in 25/26 to test and inform national thinking and the development of national forward plans through round tables, discussions and deep dive work in collaboration with key system partners and professionals from other neighbourhoods.
- Delivered the Adult Social Care Tech Fund project using the £1.1 million secured in 2024 to develop the Enhancing Wellbeing through Digital programme – evaluating PainChek and RoboPets with a sustainability plan in place.
- Successfully completed the delivery of numerous pilot projects including Whzan, Miicare, RaizerChair, GaitSmart with transition/sustainability plans in place.
- Established a new pilot project piloting Nobi Smart Lights to reduce falls, ambulance call outs and improve wellbeing through improved sleep.
- Co-produced the BLMK Neighbourhood DiSC Strategy 2025-28 with common priorities across the local authorities’ geographical footprint, linked with the evolving national agenda.
- Developed the BLMK DiSC Strategic Delivery Plan for 2025-2027.
- Engaged with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, fostering collaboration and partnership to drive innovation and address key challenges in the social care landscape.
Thank you
On behalf of the BLMK Digitising Social care team we would like to thank our care providers, system suppliers, community and voluntary services, residents, professionals, BLMK ICS and the local authority leadership teams. Your continued support and advocacy make all the difference. Thank you also to the NHS England national and regional team for their much-valued guidance and encouragement.
“Together, we are shaping the future of social care – driving innovation, empowering communities, and making a lasting impact.”