TELEVISION sets could be used to help monitor sick and vulnerable residents in their homes by having conversations with them.

Essex County Council is proposing a £7million fund to invest in digital support for adult social care.

The fund would be used to support people who remain in their house rather than moving to a residential or care home or getting stuck in hospital.

John Spence CBE, cabinet member for finance at County Hall, said: "With the funding we will look at different technology and a range of things.

"Technology to monitor people's health, monitoring people's activities."

He gave the example of interactive television with motion sensors.

Mr Spence said: "If you are not moving about it could say 'are you ok; and you can say 'I am not feeling well and I think I need to do something, I need some help'.

"I am not saying which we will do but we have created a budget to look at what we should do."

At the same time the council is looking to cut the budget for more traditional equipment.

The equipment ranges from simple daily living aids to assist people to bathe and toilet themselves, or assist with their mobility, to more complex equipment designed to provide nursing care to service users such as profiling beds, pressure care mattresses and hoists.

In 2015/16 the council spent £14.8million and by 2019/20 it is proposing to spend £9.6million.

Mr Spence insisted this is about getting "a more competitive supplier and not reducing the amount of equipment".

He added: "We don't want to do anything that will get in the way of people staying at home."

However there are concerns about the equipment budget being slashed in a county with a growing and ageing population.

Essex County Council commissions the equipment for itself as well as partners including Colchester Hospital University Foundation Trust and the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group.

The contract is due to run out in March and the council is considering a three-year extension but on a reduced basis.

About 57,000 people currently rely on the equipment.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: "This is a procurement exercise which looks into the contractual arrangements around supplying equipment which helps vulnerable people remain in their homes.

"The savings will come from improved purchasing practices and bringing services into the core contract, rather than sub-contracting them.

“This is not about withdrawing services, making decisions on who is entitled to equipment or increasing pressure on social care partners or the NHS, nor does it require reducing equipment or cutting services.

“This is simply an opportunity to overhaul the contractual arrangements around the provision of equipment to create a better and more efficient service for the vulnerable people who need help to stay in their homes.”