A SENIOR department of health minister has seen how technology at Airedale Hospital is being deployed to provide better care for patients.

Earl Howe, the Minister for Quality at the department, toured the Telehealth Hub at Airedale and saw how residents in care homes and their own homes are linked up through the telemedicine service to receive round-the-clock care.

The minister took part in a secure video call and spoke to a patient who can get urgent medical help from hospital consultants or specialist nurses without having to leave the comfort of their home.

Bridget Fletcher, chief executive of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to host this visit by Earl Howe and share with him the trust’s vision for using technology to provide the best care for patients in the right place, which is for them is preferably their own home, whenever they need it.”

Lord Howe said: “It was very good to see for myself and talk to staff at Airedale about the ways they are using innovative methods such as telemedicine to support more people in their own homes and reduce hospital admissions.

"It is certainly the way forward, and I was especially interested in how they will be using e-prescribing and other digital approaches to such good effect.”