Digital and Culture Minister, Margot James, visits Liverpool 5G project volunteers at Kensington home

The Minister for Digital and Culture, Margot James, has been in Liverpool meeting project volunteers from Kensington, who are using 5G supported health devices and apps as part of the Liverpool 5G health and Social Care Project.

The minister also met with members of the consortium who created IoT health technologies being trialled on our 60mmwave 5G mesh network like Jen Fenner, from Defproc, who developed the Push to Talk device.

The 5G mesh network is the first of its kind in Europe to support life-changing technologies that help keep people healthy at home for longer. Margot James was interested to hear about the potential for these technologies to change how the health and social care sector uses technology for good in the future.

Whilst in Liverpool, the minister visited the home of Catherine Miller who has epilepsy and her partner Kenneth Farrag who takes medication for diabetes. They both have a mild learning disability and live semi-independently at home in Kensington.

They have been trialling the Liverpool 5G project’s Paman device. Paman provides a video link to trained pharmacists that allows people to take medicine safely at home, without the need for a carer’s visit.   

Margot James said of the technology: “5G has the potential to revolutionise every aspect of our lives, from increasing productivity to improving quality of life. “Our successful Liverpool testbed is key to delivering this progress, exploring how we can harness the power of 5G connectivity to transform health and social care.”