Smart watches on the NHS for some says Streeting.

For what it’s worth I think the NHS has to do something.

I listened to Stephen Kinnock this morning, and the consultation/big conversation between NHS, Government and electorate starts today.

I am sceptical as regards all the extra qualified health care staff needed to get the Community Health Hubs started. (There are currently upwards of 125,000 vacancies across the NHS) Also they are nothing new we have two near us, which do all the things the new hubs are going to do.

I am concerned that yet again mental health is being kicked back into the community which whilst I do not want to see a return to the old model of mental institutions I would like to see a new approach to inpatient care accessible as and when needed.

I appreciate that something needs to be done, but one thing at a time done well rather than throwing all the plates in the air and hoping they stay there.

Regardless of my above opinions I really hope that they succeed in their aims.

I love my Apple Watch- gifted from my daughter who set up daily exercise program and it tells me to stand up and move - initially I was a bit annoyed to be told to stand up but Now I’m more aware of just getting up despite chronic back pain due to spinal stenosis.. am now a little more confident doing this and of course I can check my heart rate and that’s reassuring. Also it needs a daily charge but it charges so fast so not a problem really at all. I get a weekly report on my movement levels and this interests me … still overweight but trying 😀

I charge mine when I go upstairs to bed, and it does it while I have a bath, brush my teeth etc, and generally prepare for sleep.

It tells me to stand up and move around when I'm in the car, and nags about other things which is irritating, but it is very useful when it comes to things like Oxygen levels and respiratory rate.

I could turn off the 'stand up and move' nagging, but it does me no harm to be reminded of my sedentary lifestyle, even though I can't do much about it.

I think it sounds a good idea. It does not replace the lack of GP appointments which many of us suffer from now but provides a different service.
We have mostly had thermometers at home for years. I have a blood pressure machine and a peak flow meter and I can feedback to the GP when my BP or asthma are not well controlled. I also have an oximeter now.
This sounds like a more high tech version of these things that people already use. People who do not want to use a smart watch could refuse them if offered.

My iPhone counts my steps, and I think it does other things too, but I’m not sure what. A smart watch would be useless to me because I’d only ever wear it if I went out of the house. It may be useful to others though, all my children have them, but they’re all runners, and compare their times, and each other’s times.

I’m more concerned about the idea of care in the community.
We need hospitals. I’m shortly due to have spinal surgery. It has to be done in a hospital, not a nearby clinic, for which I’m eternally grateful.

I wonder what does that professional absentee Amanda Pritchard have to say about them? We never hear a peep from her.

Probably because it's relatively one tiny issue amongst hundreds in the NHS? No one has asked her? She commented on the Parkinsons study in 2022 as in a general "valuable steps forward if it proves to be etc etc."

Black humour.

FGT

FriedGreenTomatoes 😁

Lisaangel10

I read lots of reports and reviews about these gadgets and they all said they were not very accurate.

Not measuring the various parameters at all is even less accurate. If we wait until they are absolutely perfect and everyone is absolutely certain to be able to use them properly, we could still be waiting at the last trump and a lot of people will be too late to cure.

We can't expect to move in one step onto the Star Trek medical scanner that took about 10 seconds to measure all the patient's vital signs, diagnose what was wrong and prescribe the appropriate procedures and medicaments - it takes several tries to get the best version of a device and accustom everyone to using it.

Will a Smart Watch remind fatties when to take their free weight loss injections so they can get back into work? It's as hare-brained a scheme as Gordon Brown's scheme to refurbish old PCs to rent to the unemployed for £5 a week so they could search for work online.

Yeah. They sound an alarm when people’s spite levels reach dangerous, too.

Doodledog

Yeah. They sound an alarm when people’s spite levels reach dangerous, too.

Anything available for being passive aggressive and terribly polite all the time?

Or perhaps a sort of 3 strikes and you are out bell for endless negativity about Labour?

Will one mean I can get to see/talk to a doctor without having to fill in a form online then wait a day or two to find out if I can even talk to a Nurse let alone a doctor? If it helps with that I would gladly wear one but it wont make my arthritis laden hands & fingers fill in the form any easier will it?

SillyNanny321

Will one mean I can get to see/talk to a doctor without having to fill in a form online then wait a day or two to find out if I can even talk to a Nurse let alone a doctor? If it helps with that I would gladly wear one but it wont make my arthritis laden hands & fingers fill in the form any easier will it?

You can actually use Voice Input from some smart watches. My husband, (who has arthritis in his hands) uses it to send messages to me. If it is an online form you would probably need to use a tablet or phone, but it is helpful for problems with motor control.

A couple of years ago my smart watch alerted me to certain changes. It advised me to contact my GP urgently, which I did. I was seen immediately by a doctor and fast tracked to see a consultant and had many in depth tests. All thanks to my Smart Watch which is an additional support, not a substitute for the doctor.

I think the R&D teams are working on that, jasper

I have been wearing a smart watch for a few years now. I started with a cheap version from Amazon and I found it invaluable in being able to see the time on a back lit screen. It recorded how many steps I was walking and had a timer so that I could remind myself when my cooking needed attention. It was all very novel, but also very practical for someone who is getting forgetful. I have progressed onto a Samsung model. It is more comprehensive, can check my blood pressure and heart rate, as well as telling me when my phone is ringing (I'm quite deaf now) and who is calling. It can be connected by bluetooth to my other devices. I can set my alarm, see the time in the dark, and use in torch mode to go to the bathroom. Quite frankly, it is invaluable to me. It also tells me that I have been sitting for too long and should get up and stretch my legs....and yes, I can do that myself, but it gives me more incentive if I am buzzed to remind me. I think they are a great asset, especially with those who need to use the medical software as well.

Sounds promising enough to trial. As to the assertion that they'll end up in a drawer, being communicating devices they will TELL the nurse / consultant / admin team that that's the case & I imagine they'll be requested back forthwith so a patient who does bother to use them can benefit.

Good point, vivaldi. And anyone who feels they are a waste of time or money can always say no if offered one. I can't imagine they'll be compulsory.

My grown up offspring number 2 has a smart glucose monitor which alarms if his sugars are too high or low. It'll wake him in the night if he's in any danger and also alerts me so, even if I'm away from home I know there's an issue and he immediately texts me to say he's dealing with it. Gives him a lot of independence. I'm all for these smart devices as long as people are educated and able to use them properly. Trouble is people need the ongoing support from professionals to back it up, it's not just a way to save time for the overstretched NHS.

I have an Apple smart watch which is several years old now but I use it constantly to monitor my heart rate when exercising, count steps and nag me not to sit too long. I had a heart attack last year and I find the watch constantly reassuring doing exercise. Anything that gets people fitter should be encouraged to help the NHS.

I have worn a fitbit for a number of years and it encouraged me to be more active and probably helped me get my weight under control, along with medication from my doctor. Sadly my fitbit died this summer and since not wearing one my levels of activity have declined as I no longer have the reminders to tell me to move and give me targets. I need to replace it as I'm aware my fitness is declining. I'm just not sure which one to buy, but I would recommend one to anyone who needs to improve their fitness and monitor their health.

My daughter passed her ‘old’ Apple Watch on to me. I can monitor my heart with mini ECGs as I get a lot of ‘fluttering’ episodes and will be able to send these to my GP if necessary. There’s a wealth of other health- monitoring features which I find invaluable. I wouldn’t be without now.