A major patient safety alert has been issued after an investigation uncovered critical failures in GPS tracking devices used to monitor thousands of vulnerable people across the United Kingdom.
The devices, manufactured in Turkey and supplied to the NHS and private care providers, were found to have a dangerous design flaw causing them to lose connection and display outdated locations. This failure puts patients with conditions like dementia at immediate risk of harm.
How the System Failed
The investigation revealed that the "Pulse" devices, worn as watches or pendants, could display locations that are hours out of date while showing a strong signal connection. In one harrowing case, a device showed a 92-year-old dementia patient as being safely at her care home in Bury St Edmunds while she was actually alone and disoriented on a busy main road.
Her daughter, who relied on the tracker, stated: "It’s a miracle she wasn’t killed. The device showed full signal, but the location was completely wrong. It provided a false sense of security that could have ended in tragedy."
Who is Affected?
The faulty technology has been distributed to:
- NHS trusts across the country
- Private care homes and providers
- Families directly purchasing the devices for loved ones
It is believed thousands of patients and elderly individuals currently rely on this compromised system for their safety and freedom.
Official Response and Action
Following the investigation, the manufacturer has acknowledged the fault and claims to have issued a software update. However, concerns remain about whether this update adequately addresses the fundamental design flaw.
Patient safety groups and families are calling for an urgent recall and independent review of all devices to prevent a potential catastrophe. This incident raises serious questions about the procurement and testing of medical and care technology within the UK's health system.
