HEART patients in North Yorkshire can spend less time in hospital following a huge investment in the latest health-monitoring systems for the home.

Scarborough Hospital, which treats patients in many parts of Ryedale, has announced the purchase of 100 telehealth systems, which are placed in the homes of heart failure patients and used to monitor their health.

They will alert medics automatically if an emergency is detected.

Cardiologist Tim Houghton said: “This is an exciting project for the trust which we hope will bring huge benefits for heart failure patients living in the area.

“Telehealth will give us the opportunity to monitor patients from a distance, so our specialist team can intervene when necessary to prevent deterioration in symptoms.

“This means patients with heart failure are hopefully less likely to be admitted to hospital and can remain in the comfort of their own home.”

The announcement comes only one week after a major report on the future of health care in North Yorkshire recommended cutting 200 hospital beds and focus on treating patients in their own homes, in a bid to ease the major financial pressure on the NHS in our region.

The telehealth system, in which the trust has invested £115,000, is connected to a patient’s home telephone line. Each day, the patient uses a range of wireless devices to record vital signs such as oxygen levels, blood pressure, weight and temperature.

The readings are sent to a central monitoring centre where any abnormalities can be identified and acted upon before the patient’s condition worsens. The hospital said this can “reduce the risk of an exacerbation and ultimately avoid a hospital admission”.

Heart patient Ronald Carr, 77, from Whitby, said he was phoning for emergency help up to once a week at some times and was a regular at A&E. He said: “But since using telehealth, I haven’t been in hospital once – it’s like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders.”