They’re a lifeline for 1.8 million older adults, people with disabilities and those recovering from illness or injury in the UK.
But if you use a personal alarm, experts have warned that it might soon stop working.
That’s because network providers are switching over from analogue landlines to digital telephone systems – rendering many popular device useless.
The final deadline for the switch to digital is January 2027.
However, a growing majority of the UK has already made the transition, meaning analogue telecare systems may no longer be reliable.
Despite this, researchers from Which? found that older generations of devices are still available online and providers are not always making it clear they will soon not work.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy, said: ‘The deadline for the switch–over is fast approaching, and the vast majority of the UK has been migrated to digital networks.
‘It is shocking that certain telecare providers continue to sell analogue products when they could be putting lives at risk.
They’re a lifeline for 1.8 million older adults, people with disabilities and those recovering from illness or injury in the UK. But if you use a personal alarm, experts have warned that it might soon stop working. Pictured: SureSafe 24/7 Connect
Careline365 offers ‘reasonably clear’ explanations on their website regarding the digital switchover, but Which? argue they are sending mixed signals by continuing to sell these products at all
The devices are a lifeline for millions of people in the UK, allowing them to quickly call for help in an emergency (stock image)
‘Which? has informed these sellers that their products should be removed from sale immediately.’
She urged the government and regulators to take ‘decisive action’ to prevent the sale of these devices, and act if companies continue to do so.
For their investigation, the team looked at the websites of seven telecare providers at the beginning of this month.
They found three were selling analogue devices. These alarms are generally cheaper than the digital alternatives, raising concerns that consumers may be tempted to choose them based on price without fully appreciating the risks.
Most concerning was SureSafe, which was selling three devices requiring an analogue landline.
The product listings made no mention of the digital transition or the risk that the devices may not work properly.
The company has since updated their website after being contacted by Which?, adding advice that the three devices are analogue only and removing them from its list of digital alarms.
While Careline365 and LifeConnect24 offer reasonably clear explanations on their websites that their analogue alarms may not work or will soon stop working, Which? argue they are sending mixed signals by continuing to sell these products at all.
Another analogue SureSafe product. Devices such as these will no longer work once the transition to digital is complete
This analogue alarm is ‘not compatible’ with the digital switchover, Suresafe’s website states, but is still available for sale
LifeConnect24 frames their digital alternatives as a ‘strongly recommended’ upgrade, but experts said the language of ‘upgrade’ is at best problematic since it fails to convey the potentially life–saving need for switching to digital alarms.
In 2023, two vulnerable people died when their personal alarms failed to work after their landlines were switched off.
This prompted the government to initiate a charter requiring all providers to temporarily pause the migration from analogue to digital.
The other providers Which? looked at – Careium, Helpalert, Taking Care and Telecare24 – only sell digital alarms that are compatible with the UK’s modernised digital network.
In the government’s Telecare National Action Plan, published in February this year, they wrote: ‘For analogue telecare devices to be phased out, the sale and purchasing of analogue devices needs to be stopped.
‘Companies that supply telecare equipment, known as ‘telecare suppliers’, should no longer be manufacturing analogue equipment and the government expects sellers to have stopped selling them.’
Experts say that while some consumers may still be unaware of the digital switchover, there is no such excuse for businesses operating in the sector.
Stephen Kinnock, Minister at the Department of Health and Social Care, said: ‘People rely on their telecare devices to keep them safe and connected to help when they need it most – the safety of users is vital.
Lifeconnect24’s website does still sell analogue devices, but they also provide information on how to ‘upgrade’ to a digital product
‘We are working with industry to deliver the digital switchover for telecare devices, ensuring people are protected – and last year we wrote to suppliers urging them to put an end to the sale of analogue–only devices.
‘We welcome Which?’s campaign – which will have a positive impact and support people to make an informed choice when it comes to their telecare device, encouraging them to buy devices that will be safer and more reliable in future.’
A spokesman for Careline365 and LifeConnect24 said: ‘We have been preparing for the digital switchover for many years, and as a result, the vast majority of products we sell are digital devices.
‘However, there remains a small minority of vulnerable consumers for whom an analogue device may be the only way to ensure their safety and that they remain protected during the transition to digital.’
Meanwhile, a representative from SureSafe said: ‘SureSafe has been a mobile–first alarm provider since 2015, with 99% of all alarms sold being SIM–based and fully digital–ready. We shifted to mobile both to support the digital switchover and because mobile offers features unavailable with in–home devices.
‘The remaining need for analogue devices is very limited, only where no mobile signal or internet exists and an analogue line remains.
‘We welcome Which?’s efforts to highlight the switchover’s importance and have refined our messaging in response to make this clearer for our customers using analogue as their only option.’
