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New support for “digital carers” in Walsall

Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (BCWB CCG) has teamed up with health innovation company Healthwave to help “digital carers” in Walsall learn more about the NHS app and other digital tools.

Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (BCWB CCG) has teamed up with health innovation company Healthwave to help “digital carers” in Walsall learn more about the NHS app and other digital tools.

As health and care delivery increasingly moves to digital platforms, more and more people are becoming digital carers – supporting elderly or vulnerable loved ones to access health services digitally, such as requesting a prescription or viewing their COVID passport.

The #DigitalCarers campaign will signpost those who feel they would benefit from additional support, to a dedicated online “HealthwaveHub” page, which will provide access to local services, resources, networks and advice on using the NHS App. They can also join a community of digital carers in the #DigitalCarers Facebook group, where they can benefit from peer to peer advice, and tips and information from experts.

The push to support people in their role as “digital carers” runs in parallel to a campaign in Walsall aimed at young people aged 18-25 and parents of under-5s to encourage increased use of the NHS app. If the digital carers campaign proves successful, the CCG will look to extend it across the Black Country and West Birmingham.

Mike Hastings, Digital Lead for the Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System, said: “Thanks to ongoing digital transformation in the NHS, people now have the ability to engage with local health services at the touch of a button or the tap of a screen. However, as more services move online, it’s vital that those who are less confident about using technology do not become disadvantaged.

“Digital carers play an incredibly important role in helping others to access digital NHS services, but giving this kind of support to a loved one can be daunting if you’re not too sure yourself about what services are on offer and how to access them.

“That’s why we’re working with Healthwave to make this extra support available, and we really hope that people who feel they are struggling to do things like use the NHS App or other digital channels will take advantage of it.”

Oliver Sleeman, Director and Cofounder of Healthwave, said: “We are delighted to be working with Black Country and West Birmingham CCG to help people in Walsall learn more about, download and use the NHS App and get the support they need to access digital health channels, with the FREE tools and resources we will be providing we hope to mitigate digital exclusion and support and mobilise digital carers.”

A new study by Healthwave revealed that up to a third of people now have digital caring responsibilities for an older person, with some helping multiple times a day and nearly 29% helping several times a week.

But the study also revealed that while these new wave carers are doing what they can, they also feel they could benefit from help and training to make them better at this new type of caring.

More than 44% in the study said they could do with support and training on all things digital, while over 77% said they felt that increasing digital skills for themselves and the person they care for, could lead to more independence and an improved lifestyle for both.

The #DigitalCarers tools and resources can be found here:

People wishing to find out more about digital carers and become part of a support community can also join the #DigitalCarers Facebook group @digitalcarers.uk.