Couple lose lifeline as medical aid falls victim to cuts

A pioneering scheme to help keep people with long term illnesses out of hospital is being ditched by health authorities in Cornwall, because they say they can no longer afford the service.

Telehealth helps medical staff to remotely monitor patients and intervene before their symptoms become an emergency.

But next week it will no longer be supplied to their homes.

Jill Diggett from Bodmin has a whole host of medical conditions including pulmonary fibrosis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis - every breath she takes is a struggle. She told our reporter Claire Manning that the little gadget has changed her and her husband's lives.

The Telehealth Scheme means Jill's husband Howard, who's her full time carer, can monitor her health at home. Among other things, Telehealth checks her blood pressure, oxygen levels and any infections.

If there's a problem a medic will advise how to treat yourself or ultimately call for an ambulance.

NHS Kernow is now withdrawing Telehealth, partly due to funding. Howard believes that's short-sighted. When you consider since Jill started using Telehealth in January, they've only called an ambulance once and Jill's had no hospital stays.

Given the costs of an ambulance call out and hospital stays, Howard believes cutting the Telehealth service will be a false economy.

Nothing can improve Jill's health, not even Telehealth but what it can do, say Jill and Howard, is give them both peace of mind - and in their opinion save the NHS money

NHS Kernow has issued the following statement: