Telehealth technology has the potential to make multi-million pound savings if it was rolled out across the UK, a new study has found.

A report into the Kent Telehealth Evaluative Development project found that over a six month period between 2006 and 2007, use of the technology saved an average of £1,878 a patient, which could lead to potential savings of £7.5m a year.

Telehealth technology can be used to record vital patient information such as blood pressure and sugar levels which are then sent directly to a nurse, GP or clinician to monitor.

The study which Kent County Council conducted in partnership with the NHS ran from 2005 to 2007 and followed 250 people aged 65 and over suffering with long term conditions. The participants were found to have "embraced the technology enthusiastically" and approved of the independence and control they had.

Other key findings revealed the telehealth technology brought peace of mind to patients and those in domiciliary care jobs. The technology supported independence and it was found that users had fewer hospital visits with shorter stays when they did, in addition to reduced contact with GPs.

Oliver Mills KCC managing director for Kent adult social services told Community Care: "The financial implications of this are absolutely huge. The evidence we have in Kent is that this has massive implications across the whole of the UK and I hope very much that people will take this up because this is the best way of supporting people with long-term conditions to live independently - and at the same time it is the best use of public money.