TSA's response to NRS Healthcare's collapse
Introducing ITEC 2026
TEC's role in the NHS 10-Year Plan
Helping councils utilise proactive and preventative care
Sector-led innovation and next steps
September/October 2025
This issue is sponsored by
Alyson Scurfield TSA Chief Executive
It’s been a tough few months for our sector. The collapse of NRS
Healthcare sent shockwaves up and down the country with 1,500 staff directly affected, along with practitioners in the health and care sector, and crucially, the people, families and unpaid carers who rely on community equipment services (CES) every day.
Throughout this challenging period, I am incredibly proud of how the TEC and CES sectors have worked together with clarity, dedication, and empathy, supporting service continuity and safeguarding individuals. Read about our response and the practical actions we’re taking on the following page..
Reflecting on and learning from this situation is vital and this theme of learning, growth and adaption is at the forefront of my mind as we finalise TSA’s new business plan. Together with our members, team, board and wider stakeholders, we’ve shaped a focused and ambitious roadmap for the next five years. More on this new business strategy in the next issue!
Someone who will be vital to the success of our business strategy is TSA’s new Chair. We are currently seeking a dynamic and influential individual to lead our Board, work closely with me, and guide our vision to 2030. Find out more on page 10.
TSA’s Sector Risk and Innovation Group (SRIG) have been instrumental in our business planning process. This expert committee responds
to operational risks and opportunities by commissioning and overseeing different work programmes. On page 13 read about the outputs SRIG is completing and our ambitions going forward.
And finally, I am delighted to launch our plans for ITEC 2026. Read about the central themes and get a taster for our programme on page 4. You can expect a conference packed with sector-shaping insights, hands-on workshops, lived-experience voices, and visionary speakers; all designed to spark ideas, share solutions, and strengthen the future of technology enabled care.
I hope you enjoy this issue!
The liquidation of NRS Healthcare this summer created major disruption and instability for the technology enabled care (TEC) and community equipment services (CES) sector.
Thousands of older and disabled people have been impacted, alongside 1,500 staff and numerous practitioners across health and social care.
In the face of this upheaval, TSA stepped in swiftly to support service providers, suppliers, and the individuals who rely on community equipment every day.
Working in close partnership with the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), local authorities, and national care bodies, TSA helped to co-ordinate a unified sector response - facilitating commissioner and supplier communication, maintaining a live TEC contracts tracker, offering tailored guidance to those navigating service continuity and contractual transitions. Rapid vacancy submissions to a regularly updated TSA jobs portal helped to support NRS colleagues.
Ongoing collaboration with the Local Government Association (LGA) and Association of Directors of Adult Social Servies (ADASS) ensured TSA members and stakeholders stayed informed and connected at all times.
Alyson Scurfield, TSA Chief Executive, said:
As we move forward, TSA will be reflecting on lessons learnt, ensuring these insights inform the future of community equipment services. We’ll be working with a range of organisations to examine key risks and mitigation strategies - particularly around interoperability and data integration, cyber security, commissioning practices, and contract management.
This situation also shines a light on the need for robust regulation and clear standards across CES. Quality, safety, and continuous improvement must be mandated in the sector. TSA’s Sector Risk and Innovation Group (SRIG) will play a vital role in this work, reviewing the implications of the NRS collapse, feeding this through to the UKAS-accredited Quality Standards Framework and exploring practical ways to mitigate future risks. Current SRIG programmes already focus on TEC-specific cyber resilience, interoperability standards, and digital skills.
TSA welcomes the Minister of State for Care’s recent acknowledgement of the disruption, and we urge continued government engagement and support to strengthen resilience planning across TEC and CES.
“This has been a difficult time for many. But it’s also shown the strength and solidarity of our sector. We’ve seen councils and suppliers work tirelessly to sustain services and safeguard individuals. TSA will continue to support transitions, share learning, and champion the reforms needed to protect vital community equipment services going forward.”
This spring, professionals from across the TEC sector will come together in Birmingham for ITEC 2026 - one of the most important events in the international digital care calendar.
Held at The ICC Birmingham on 16–17 March 2026, the International Technology Enabled Care (ITEC) Conference will bring together over 1,100 attendees from across the UK, Ireland and beyond. We will together explore how technology is being used to build more connected communities and deliver care that is proactive, person-centred and ready for the future.
With the full digital switchover less than a year away, and health and care systems under increasing pressure, ITEC 2026 couldn’t be more timely. The sector is facing urgent challengesworkforce shortages, rising demand, stretched budgets - but there is also real momentum. New technology, better data, and locally led innovation are opening up new possibilities for how care is designed and delivered.
This year’s theme, ‘The TEC Evolution: Connecting Communities and Enriching Lives’ , reflects that shift. ITEC 2026 will spotlight what’s working now, what needs to scale, and how services are moving beyond traditional structures to embrace community-based, wraparound models that put people first.
Across the programme, attendees will hear from senior government officials, thought leaders, and innovators from across the sector, alongside the voices of people with lived and learned experience who are helping shape the future of care.
The first of three headline themes is Digital Transformation in Health, Housing & Care. These sessions will showcase how services are embedding TEC into mainstream care pathways and breaking down silos across health, housing and social care. With a strong focus on housing readiness, commissioning challenges, and integrated working at local level, the theme will explore how community hubs and neighbourhood-based services are already delivering wraparound care with technology at the heart.
The second key theme is AI, Data and Predictive Care. From falls prevention and dementia support to early intervention in long-term conditions, these sessions will highlight how artificial intelligence and predictive models are already reshaping care delivery. There will be a strong focus on ethics, digital literacy and community trust, including practical examples of how staff and people using services are being supported to understand and confidently use AI in the real world.
The final main theme, Digital Skills for the TEC Workforce and the People They Support, looks at what it takes to build confidence and capability across communities. With care spend increasingly directed toward younger adults and people with learning disabilities, this theme will highlight codesigned approaches that empower individuals, families and support staff. From peer-led training in supported housing to workforce development programmes rooted in lived experience, sessions will show how technology can support independence and improve outcomes when people are involved in shaping how it’s used.
Complementing our main themes, ITEC 2026 will also feature eight innovation stage sessions and twelve knowledge and networking workshops, covering vital topics such as smart homes, interoperability, cybersecurity, remote monitoring, funding models, and co-design.
What sets ITEC apart is its balance of ambition and practicality. Delegates leave with more than ideas - they gain clear direction on what to do next, grounded in proven examples and real-world learning. This year’s programme is designed to give everyone - whether you’re in housing, health, social care, commissioning, innovation or service delivery - something tangible to take away.
Whether you’re launching a new product, shaping a regional care strategy, or delivering support on the front line, ITEC 2026 is where you’ll find the connections, insights and inspiration to move forward.
This summer, the government published its 10-Year Health Plan for England, setting out proposals to ‘fundamentally rewire the NHS in England’ by harnessing opportunities offered by technologies, medicines and innovations to deliver better care for all patients.
For some time, we’ve known about the government’s three radical health shifts: hospital to community, analogue to digital and sickness to prevention, but the publication of this Fit for the Future plan outlines exactly how these major changes will be realised. Importantly, the technology enabled care (TEC) sector is well positioned to support on all three.
Sir David Pearson, chair of TEC Quality, reinforces the central role for TEC in the government’s health mission:
“This plan is based around the three broad objectives: ensuring care is available on people’s doorsteps and in their homes, digitally transforming care so people can manage their own health, and reaching patients earlier to avoid sickness.”
“Technology enabled care is at the heart of all these ambitions, enhancing the quality of life, choice and control of those who need health services, care and support to live their best lives. It supports health and care staff in meeting increasing needs in our communities in the most personalised and effective way. Advances in technology give us the opportunity to join up digital solutions and services around the people who need them most.”
Peter Macleod, board director of TEC Quality and former CEO of the Care Inspectorate agrees, highlighting the urgency of the situation:
“The 10-Year Health Plan makes it clear that the current NHS system requires substantial change to be sustainable for the future. TEC will be central to this reinvention, and as digital care technologies expand to meet the agenda for change, they must be at a high standard to deliver the best care for our citizens.”
“The UKAS-accredited Quality Standards Framework (QSF), which audits TEC suppliers and providers against 200 rigorous standards, will be key to delivering quality care and building trust in TEC as the sector expands.”
TSA’s chief executive, Alyson Scurfield will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, championing TEC’s role in shifting health and care systems to digitally enabled, proactive and preventative approaches, delivered in homes and communities.
Find out more about the Quality Standards Framework at: www.tecquality.org.u k
Five months after TSA and ADASS launched a free, practical Blueprint to help councils plan, implement and scale proactive and preventative services, we’ve been busy with the next stage of this important work.
So far, over 600 people working in councils across the country have downloaded the Blueprint and feedback has been very positive. But this practical guide is all about enabling action and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing recently.
TSA has developed two new areas of support. The first is an Art of the Possible Workshop, which brings together council leaders, managers and practitioners and exposes them to the breadth and depth of preventative and proactive care, including the seven most common services and what might be right for the people they support.
The first of these Art of the Possible Workshops took place in Derby in August and was attended by nearly 70 occupational therapists, physios, social workers and other staff members from Derby City Council’s care services. The aim was to bring everyone into the proactive and preventative space, ensuring a level playing field of knowledge, so all colleagues have a sense of what the council is trying to achieve and why.
Andrew Muirhead, head of adults commissioning, integration, and market development at Derby City Council explains more:
“Paul Berney and Nathan Downing at TSA brought a lot of energy and provoked a lot of thought amongst our workers in Derby City Council. We had a relatively large group of colleagues from adult social care and connected teams, who were keen to engage in the Blueprint and opportunities it could bring to the people we support through new approaches in TEC.”
“Paul walked us through the first phase of initial planning and assessed our strategy for adoption of proactive and preventative care services, while Nathan helped focus our minds on some key service areas, relevant to our area, customers, and current baseline.”
“They struck just the right balance between presentation and plenty of table-top time to discuss and capture an emerging plan that we will now use to refine our TEC Strategy for the forthcoming years. We look forward to continuing to work with TSA on our journey.”
Another way TSA is helping councils is by evaluating their current efforts around proactive and preventative care against best practice. Short, medium and long term recommendations are then made, helping councils to develop a strategy and make the most of their investment in this area. Get in touch to learn about TSA’s Rapid Assessment Tool via the email below.
Discover how TSA can support your local authority to plan, implement and scale proactive and preventative care services by contacting Paul Berney on: paul.berney@tsa-voice.org.uk
The TEC Services Association (TSA) is a Community Interest Company (CIC) with a clear vision: to drive transformation and growth of the technology enabled care (TEC) sector by strengthening partnerships, harnessing data and empowering people.
We exist to improve lives. TEC helps people of all ages - whether living with disabilities, longterm conditions, or in later life - to live safely, independently and with dignity, often in their own homes. From supporting people to manage health conditions, to reducing loneliness and providing families with peace of mind, the impact of our work is felt in communities across the UK.
We achieve this by shaping national policy, setting standards, and guiding organisations to deliver services that are safe, resilient and person-centred. Through our subsidiary, TEC Quality, we deliver the UK’s only UKAS-accredited Quality Standards Framework (QSF) for TEC and community equipment services. This ensures services not only comply with regulation, but actively raise the bar for quality and innovation.
TSA also represents a vibrant and committed membership. Our 350+ members include local authorities, health and care providers, housing organisations, charities and technology suppliers, working together with us to embed technology into health, housing and social care, and create better outcomes for people and communities.
TSA is not just responding to the national policy agenda—we are actively shaping and supporting it.
Through the NHS Long Term Plan and the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, three strategic shifts are clear: moving care from hospital into the community, from sickness into prevention, and from analogue to digital. TSA is working across government, regulators, providers and industry to help deliver on all three:
Helping services use TEC to support earlier intervention, wraparound care and safe independence at home.
Sickness to prevention • :
Championing preventative models, from digital monitoring to proactive community support, reducing pressure on overstretched health and care services.
Analogue to digital • :
Playing a leading role in the Analogue-to-Digital (A to D) programme, safeguarding vulnerable residents and ensuring a safe, inclusive transition.
We are also:
Driving TEC Standards • :
Supporting government’s commitment to national standards, ensuring they are meaningful, practical and grounded in frontline delivery.
Delivering the Telecare National Action Plan • (TNAP):
Actively coordinating with government, Ofcom, telecoms providers and service providers to deliver a safe national transition.
Shaping the 2030 Business Plan • :
Leading the sector’s evolution through innovation in AI, predictive analytics, integrated community hubs and workforce transformation.
Supporting Care to Connect (APPG Report) • :
Convening partners and supporting pilots to strengthen digital readiness and safeguard residents across the UK.
The opportunity
We are seeking a dynamic Chair to lead our Board and work closely with our Chief Executive. This position calls for a high-profile leader with the authority, vision and credibility to influence government, regulators and system leaders, and to help convene partners around TSA’s mission. As Chair, you will:
• Provide strategic leadership, ensuring TSA fulfils its mission and national role
• Guide effective governance and accountability across TSA and TEC Quality
• Influence at the highest levels of government, regulatory bodies, care systems and industry
• Act as a convenor, bringing together diverse voices to support a shared vision for the future of TEC
• Champion the role of technology in improving lives and strengthening services
We need an individual with:
• Proven senior leadership experience in complex organisations
• Strong governance expertise and the ability to lead Boards effectively
• The credibility to engage directly with ministers, regulators, system leaders and industry figures
• A deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges across health, housing and social care, and the role technology plays in addressing them
• Outstanding communication skills and ambassadorial presence, with the ability to convene and influence
The TEC sector is entering a new era of growth and transformation. With the NHS and government prioritising prevention, community-based support and digital integration, technology is becoming central to how care is delivered. TSA is leading this transformation. Our Chair will guide our vision to 2030, shape the national agenda and ensure technology delivers better outcomes for people and communities across the UK.
For more information and how to apply, view the full job description here
attends MAMA Annual Conference as part of new international partnership
In September, Members of the TSA team travelled to Philadelphia as honoured guests of the Medical Alert Monitoring Association (MAMA), to participate in their 2025 Annual Conference - the premier US event dedicated to the personal emergency response systems (PERS) industry.
As part of a newly established International Strategic Partnership between TSA and MAMA, our visit aimed to strengthen global collaboration, share UK insights, and explore how innovation in technology enabled care (TEC) is evolving around the world.
Throughout the conference, TSA contributed to discussions on proactive and home-based care, met with leading US service providers and technology innovators, and deepened its understanding of the policy, practice, and delivery models shaping care in the United States.
The partnership with MAMA has been designed to:
• Share knowledge between UK and US care and technology leaders
• Explore global trends in proactive and homebased care
• Open the door to new opportunities and innovations for TSA members
• Strengthen our understanding of global policy and regulatory frameworks
We are extremely grateful to MAMA for their warm welcome and generous support in enabling TSA to take part in this important global dialogue.
We look forward to continuing this partnership and exploring how the future of connected, personcentred care can be shaped collaboratively - on both sides of the Atlantic.
Tuesday 11 November 2025, 09:00 – 15:30
The Catalyst, 3 Science Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5TG
Join us this November at The Catalyst in Newcastle, home to the National Innovation Centre for Ageing, for a one-day event focused on how technology-enabled care (TEC) is reshaping the way we live, age, and stay connected.
Delivered in partnership with the North East Health, Housing and Care Programme partners and proudly supported by Legrand Care, this event will bring together leaders, partners, and innovators from across the sector to explore how digital solutions can improve wellbeing, strengthen neighbourhoods, and open new opportunities for collaboration.
The programme will feature keynote speeches, interactive panel discussions, and networking sessions. Together we will examine the forces driving change in TEC, showcase local innovation already making a real difference, and set out shared ambitions for the future of connected communities in the North East and beyond.
At the heart of the day is demonstrating how technology empowers people to live independently in their own homes, supported by stronger partnerships, more resilient neighbourhoods, and thriving communities.
Be part of shaping a future where technology supports independence at home and promotes inclusive, connected neighbourhoods.
Places at this event will be limited so please register today to secure your place.
In partnership with the North East Health, Housing and Care Programme Supported by
Over the past 12 months, TSA’s Sector Risk and Innovation Group (SRIG) has developed a raft of resources and guidance to support TEC organisations as they respond to key challenges and opportunities.
In our last edition of TEC Voice, we outlined SRIG’s five Innovation and Challenge Groups (ICGs) - made up of experts working in or drawing on TEC – that have been addressing issues on Cyber Security, Resilience, Interoperability, Skills, and Barriers to Growth. You can read about the outputs from these five areas in our July/ August issue (pages 2-7).
We have now completed two of these five work programmes: Digital TEC Skills and Addressing Known Barriers to Growth and we want to say a huge thank you to all the SRIG members who have given up their valuable time and knowledge.
We’ve created a wealth of Digital TEC Skills resources, including CPD accredited courses developed with the sector to build workforce confidence, reduce risk and
enable consistent quality of service. Contact us to find out more about these resources: admin@tecquality.org.uk and read about who contributed to this work programme here
More details on the outputs from our Barriers to Growth work programme here, and you can download the Proactive and Preventative Care Blueprint, developed in partnership with ADASS (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services), here Read more about the next stage of this work on page 9.
In the autumn, SRIG will turn its attention to a number of new areas (to be announced shortly). We want to hear from TEC experts willing to join us and support the sector as it charts a course through fresh pressures and possibilities. Please email admin@tsa-voice.org.uk if you would like to find out more about becoming a SRIG member.
Align your brand with TEC Voice, the only dedicated publication in TEC, and engage a dedicated, receptive audience that can transform your business. Secure your space today and connect with leaders shaping the future of Technology Enabled Care.
marketing@tsa-voice.org.uk
With an engaged readership and limited, high-value advertising opportunities, your message will reach those making impactful decisions.
Don’t miss this exclusive chance to be part of TEC’s only dedicated magazine! Click here to find out more
