Government spending on digital community alarm system rises to over £1.8m - Jersey Evening Post
by Christie Bailey · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Government spending on digital community alarm system rises to over £1.8m
by Christie Bailey 8 July 20267 July 2026
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GOVERNMENT spending on Jersey’s Telecare service has increased by almost £500,000 over two years as the number of people using the service has continued to grow.
The figures, released in response to a freedom-of-information request, show that expenditure on the Telecare service rose from £1.31 million in 2023 to £1.58m in 2024 before reaching £1.82m in 2025.
Jersey’s Telecare service operates as a digital community alarm system managed by the government to help vulnerable individuals live independently at home. Subscriptions start at £21 per month, but it is free for those receiving Income Support.
The budget for Telecare this year is £1.24m, but the Health Department said this figure also covers staffing and non-staffing costs relating to Telecare services delivered as part of the wider service.
The number of active Telecare users increased from 1,015 in 2023 to 1,141 in 2024 and 1,337 in 2025. At the time of reporting, there were 1,445 active users in 2026.
The Telecare service is currently delivered by Sure Telecom, formerly Airtel-Vodafone, under a managed service agreement.
The initial three-year contract began on 1 July 2022 and was extended by 12 months from 1 July 2025. It is due to expire on 30 June 2026.
However, the government declined to disclose the value of the contract, saying the information is commercially sensitive. It also withheld the unit costs of Telecare equipment, including home hubs, pendants and add-on sensors, on the same grounds.
The government pays £21 per user for the basic hub and pendant package, but a per-user breakdown could not be provided because the managed service is charged as a whole and equipment requirements vary between users.
The contract was awarded following an open tender process that began in August 2021.
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