5G and Health & Social Care
This vital sector that employs over 1.3m people and cares for tens of millions more is under mounting pressure. By 2036, around 27 million people in the UK will be over 65. With age, however, often comes age-related illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes as well as social challenges including isolation, loneliness and the associated impact on quality of life.
It is vital that we can positively support older people, the estimated 1.4 million people in the UK living with learning disabilities, and all those with additional care and support needs - ensuring people are able to live independent, happy lives. There are a number of challenges in the sector, however, with over 100,000 current vacancies in social care in England alone.
5G – and the digital technologies it enables – can support the desire to realise more people-centric care, transition from a reactive to preventative model, and move the delivery of care from clinics to communities. All while unlocking the efficiency, resilience and flexibility required to meet the UK’s ever-growing health and social care needs.
REMOTE DIAGNOSIS
In the West Midlands 5G-powered diagnostic tools are being used to help GPs across the region deliver virtual ward rounds. This not only enables GPs to respond quickly to identified issues and reduce unnecessary hospital visits.
ADULT SOCIAL CARE
In Liverpool 5G-powered solutions will enable remote diagnosis of care home residents. Optical techniques and AI are being used to detect infections in urine and also to categorise pressure ulcers remotely and send high-quality images to practitioners for diagnosis.
https://uk5g.org/5g-updates/read-articles/health-social-care-ann-williams-insight-piece/
5G ULTRASOUND
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the West Midlands 5G programme conducted the UK’s first demonstration of a remote-controlled ultrasound scan over a public 5G network.
5G AMBULANCE
Visionable and the East of England ambulance trust exploring how 5G could assist and help treat stroke patients more quickly and effectively with Ambulances using connected devices that enable smooth communication between paramedics and consultants via ultra high-definition video.
https://www.o2.co.uk/business/why-o2/customer-stories/transforming-ambulance-care
VULNERABLE PEOPLE
The Liverpool 5G Create project is now testing a new range of telecare equipment and using AI to monitor nutrition, hydration, independence, and activity via IoT (Internet of Things) sensors around the home.
BRAIN SURGERY !!
Chinese doctors using 5G-powered medical Remebot perform remote brain surgery in 60 seconds! According to China Daily, a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease had the country’s first 5G-based remote surgery on a human brain in 2019.
https://interestingengineering.com/china-performs-countrys-first-ever-5g-remote-brain-surgery
