Scotland is one of the few countries in Europe with a national strategic approach to the development of telehealth and telecare services. The National Telehealth and Telecare Delivery Plan for Scotland to 2015 was developed with partners from health, social care, housing and the third and independent sectors to provide a clear strategic direction for the use of technology to support health and social care delivery in Scotland.
The Plan recognised the importance of sharing good practice across the whole system and, specifically within its Workstream 6 - Exchange Learning, Develop and Embed Good Practice identified the need to develop good practice guidance across a range of areas, including Asset Management. The specific brief in the Plan was to:
Develop guidelines and standards for asset management – including equipment storage, maintenance / repair, battery replacement.
The term “asset management” is used to describe how equipment is procured, stored, tested, maintained, decommissioned and recycled. Asset management enables service providers to maximise control over equipment, create efficiency and minimise equipment loss.
This Guide recognises that appropriate asset management of telecare and other technology enabled care (TEC) equipment is an essential component of safe, effective and consistent care service provision.