"Ground-Breaking System"31 Jul 2014 12:01
Anthony Sethill, chief executive of Sensium’s parent company Toumaz Group, said the patches could save
the NHS more than £500 million a year on a £50 million annual investment, mainly by slashing the number of
days patients spent in hospital.
A six-month US study found that the patch almost halved the time patients who experienced a serious and
unexpected medical episode spent in hospital.
Professor Sir John Tooke, president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: ‘Vital-signs monitoring is
something that is not done particularly well in NHS hospitals.
‘Human factors get in the way: staff get distracted or called to what they perceive to be more urgent matters.
The proper application of this type of technology will be better than human measurement alone. I think it’s the
future – as long as the technology is robust and subject to rigorous trials.’
Julie Bailey, founder of the Cure The NHS pressure group, welcomed the device. She said: ‘If this could help
save money and allow the frontline staff to focus on our other medical needs, then we should embrace what
technology has to offer.’