New lifeline service for Peterborough residents could cost council £1m

A new lifeline service for elderly and vulnerable people could cost Peterborough City Council (PCC) £1m.

The service, which places personal alarms connected to an operator in residents’ homes, was previously provided by Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC).

But this will no longer be available from 31st March 2024 after it faced “significant” financial and operational challenges, the council says.

PCC is instead poised to hand a contract to Swedish electronics company Doro on behalf of Peterborough residents.

A final decision is expected by 9th January 2024.

The contract will initially be in place for three years – with a value of £200,000 per year – with an option to extend for two further years.

PCC says the service is important to enable residents to live “fulfilling lives in their own homes”.

Lifeline services are used by people who are liable to experiencing an accident or injury in their home.

Users can trigger their lifeline and be connected to an operator who may contact emergency or non-emergency services on their behalf.

PCC data from November 2022 to September 2023 suggests that an average of 262 people were signed up to the old service each month during this period.

The number of calls made with it per month ranged from 258 to 621.

The council says that “this data shows a service which is widely used and continues to see growth in uptake”.

If the contract is approved, Doro will be responsible for assessing need for lifeline services, as well as installation and the streamlined process of connecting those who use the service with the help they need.

It has been passed to the cabinet member for adults and health for final approval.