A pioneering team – who are changing the way people access health and care services in Lanarkshire via innovative technology – have won a coveted national award.

NHS Lanarkshire’s Telehealth team, who work across North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships, were recently crowned at the inaugural Holyrood (Connect) Scottish Digital Health & Care Awards in Edinburgh.

The highly-contested evening set out to recognise the achievements and innovation which is continuing to put Scotland at the forefront of the digital revolution in healthcare.

Morag Hearty, NHS Lanarkshire Telehealth manager, expressed her delight as she and her colleagues, telehealth assistants Kerry Fletcher and Lesley Aitken, won the digital health and care team gong.

Morag said: “Various forms of technology are now supporting growing numbers of people in Lanarkshire with a variety of conditions to feel safe, connected and in control whilst increasing independence.

“We are driven by making those positive changes to people’s lives. The award is the icing on the cake and we are committed to taking this programme forward.”

A panel of award judges heard how the Lanarkshire team have introduced and scaled-up innovations which are shifting the way that people access services.

They include, for example, home and mobile health monitoring to support a variety of health conditions. One of the systems, Florence Simple Telehealth text messaging, allows people with conditions including high blood pressure, to monitor and text their readings from home. This ensures safety and reduces the need to attend the Doctor’s surgery for routine checks.