Do you or someone you know use a telecare alarm?

2 million vulnerable people relying on lifesaving telecare alarms to call for help are being urged to get in touch with their landline providers for support with the upcoming switch to digital.

Telephone providers are now working on a nationwide digital switchover which will see the landline network upgraded from analogue to digital or IP (Internet Protocol). This means that in the future, voice telephone calls will be carried in the same way as data over a broadband connection.

Nobody will have to lose their landline service nor change their telephone number, and in most cases, your existing handset will be compatible. However, during the switchover, telecare alarms may stop working.

BT are currently contacting their customers by post offering guidelines on how to book an appointment with an engineer. However, if you or someone you know uses a telecare alarm and you haven’t yet been contacted, you must call the landline provider. They will help make sure alarms keep working through the switchover. Customers can also nominate somebody else on their account to talk to BT on their behalf.

An engineer will be sent to carry out the switchover and personally test the telecare alarm, ensuring it continues to work once a household has moved onto the digital network. Landline providers will also offer vulnerable customers a free battery back-up device so their landline can continue working in an outage.

Find out more here: https://digitalphoneswitchover.com/home-users/

BT customers can also call them on 150 to ask for help if you’re unsure about what you need to do.

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