HiCarer is reimagining the UK’s care system, delivering a more effective way to enable individuals and families to manage their care and their support circle.
Introduction
Rascal Ventures is incubating HiCarer, a startup that is working towards better, more affordable care managed directly by individuals and families through effective use of technology.
HiCarer’s revolutionary solution will not only benefit the individuals and their support circles, but also society as a whole, by simplifying care management and has the potential to reduce costs for the NHS, Local Authorities as well as those needing care.
The Brief
HiCarer is a fully incubated startup. Our brief was to take Nic’s incredible vision and significant expertise in the Care sector and create an industry defining business.
Rascal Ventures partnered with Nic to accelerate HiCarer through the traditional startup framework, refining and validating the HiCarer product with customers, ensuring a strong product market fit and ultimately delivering the HiCarer app which is live and available on Google Play and the App Store.
What rule did HiCarer need to break?
The UK is currently facing a crisis in health and care provision. With healthcare workers stretched to their limits, and a significant lack of care workers, many people are finding themselves stuck in hospital when they are medically ready to leave but unable to do so. Nic knew she needed to bring a new solution to the market that helps families to lead their own person centred care plan that could aid the discharge process and better manage their loved one’s care once they were home.
Earlier this year (2023) it was revealed that of the 20,302 people per day that were ready to be discharged, only 37% of them left hospital. This often leads to poorer health outcomes and an emotional toll for those affected, and at a cost of £303 per patient per day (Allen 2021) this means a daily cost of £3.88m to the NHS.
The care sector is understaffed and overwhelmed, leaving millions of people - disabled or chronically ill, elderly, and their families - struggling to access the care they need and therefore for many, ‘stuck’ in hospital. As the population ages, the demand for care services increases with it. Care is an essential part of daily life for thousands of people. From providing basic support such as meals, household chores, and transportation to personal care, social support and professional regulated care activities, the role of care cannot be overlooked and we need more intelligent solutions to manage it.
Challenges
Getting people care in their own homes is leveraged on an administrative procedure called the “Care Needs Assessment” this would need to be digitised and therefore a complex process needed to be fully understood and replicated.
There are 152 local authorities in the UK with a variation of this process.
Care is often balanced between unpaid and paid carers and all people need visibility of someone’s care.
Care can be organised by a loved one or the person who is in need of care themselves, denoting varying user types.
Deliverables
Product Market Fit and Customer analysis
Full discovery from design thinking, testing and development of the prototype.
Branding
Build cycle, through to delivery of the final digital experience.
Impact
We have measurable outcomes that ensure HiCarer will help to:
Reduce NHS spend on delayed discharge by £15m in the first three years
Afford more people easier access to affordable care
Outcome
App launched September 2023
Product
Visit the HiCarer website for more details and to join their early access programme