A doctor has launched a new service aimed at helping poorly people or those recovering from illness to find home care.

Dr Jamie Wilson specialises in dementia care and is the founder and CEO of HomeTouch, a website which aims to put those needing care at home in touch with carers who meet their needs without having to go through agencies.

He says that by cutting out the middle man, patients and customers pay less for the service while the carer earns more money as the agency is not taking a chunk of it.

The 37-year-old specialises in dementia care and came up with the idea of HomeTouch after seeing how patients battled with the current home care system. He said: “I saw families were struggling to find good carers. The carers provided would often change and that was very disorientating for the patient, there’s no continuity and no one picking up problems.”

HomeTouch allows patients or families to search online for a carer which meets their needs, such as dementia care, stroke recovery, arthritic care and other illnesses.

Each carer is rigorously checked before they are selected, undergoing criminal record checks, face-to-face meetings, and assessed on compassion, communication, common sense and other grounds.

Dr Wilson said: “We put everyone through test scenarios and only approve about five per cent of the applicants. We are quite selective.

HomeTouch takes up most of his time, but he still has time for independent mental health work across Hammersmith and Fulham , Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster .

It is an area he knows well after completing his speciality medical training at Imperial College, Charing Cross and Chelsea and Westminster hospitals.

Dr Wilson said: “Care agencies aren’t very efficient and can’t get people assessed and set up with home care package very quickly. It’s a huge problem locally and nationally.

“Now a customer can find a carer near where they live. You choose your own carer. This model puts the carer as the main service provider.

“And the good thing about this model is the carer is much better paid -about 75% more than agencies. They set their own rates, work locally and we take a commission from the overall rate.

HomeTouch was set up in January and currently has 150 carers on its books, and around 100 customers throughout London. In that time carers have offered 10,000 hours of care.

Dr Wilson, who was born in Chiswick and now lives in Brent , says employee satisfaction is reflected in HomeTouch’s sickness and absence record of 0.2%, compared with an industry average of 3.2%.

And he predicted a bright future for the platform. He said: “We’re gradually building it up and after recent investment we are looking to double in size over the next few months.”

For more information go to www.myhometouch.com