Bracknell Forest Upgrades Emergency Care Alarms

Bracknell Forest Council has backed a £270,000 switch to digital alarms for vulnerable residents.

Cabinet approved plans on Tuesday, September 22 to replace Forestcare's analogue telecare ahead of the national switch-off of the UK's old telephone network on January 31, 2027.

Around 3,500 people who use the council-run service, which provides 24-hour monitoring and emergency response, will be moved because analogue kit will become unreliable once the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is withdrawn.

Councillor Paul Bidwell said the proposals offered a "timely and compliant route". A cabinet colleague said moving from analogue to digital would provide "a lot more options" for residents and services. They added: "It is something we have to do because the national infrastructure is being switched off because it's unreliable and it's creating unacceptable risk." "This is a very important proposal."

The scheme will be partly funded through £180,000 of Disabled Facilities Grant to cover replacement kit for eligible residents. Council leader Helen Purnell said: "It seems like an incredibly sensible plan. It's a vital tool for some of our residents."

The council said the new digital system would improve reliability and help ensure residents continue to receive support once traditional landline technology is phased out.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter