NHS Oxfordshire and NHS Buckinghamshire Talking Therapies services have introduced an AI-powered chatbot, from Limbic, as part of their ongoing commitment “in meeting the demand for mental health support”.
The chatbot was trialled over a period of six months with the aim to provide patients with “interactive, supportive, and non-judgemental” help during their mental health journey. According to Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, the introduction of this new service makes mental health support “more accessible, flexible and less daunting,” while also offering a way for the services to meet growing demand.
According to both service providers, the chatbot will support those “taking the first step to seek help” which “can be hard and so using the Limbic chatbot via the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Talking Therapies websites can make it easier”.
“The introduction of Limbic reaffirms our commitment to innovative solutions ensuring that every individual can access the mental health support they need in a timely and efficient manner. Together, we can create a healthier, more resilient community,” said Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Digital mental health support: the wider trend
NHS England recently published eight principles for the “appropriate use” of digital technologies in mental health settings. The principles focus on a human rights approach, consent and capacity, equity of access, co-production, therapeutic and personalised care, safety planning, evidence base, and treatment outcomes. They’re designed to help clinicians decide whether using digital technology is the “most appropriate, effective and least restrictive” way of treating patients in mental health settings.
Last month, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency published new guidance on developing safeguards, regulation and evaluation for UK digital mental health technologies including mental health apps, AI-powered assessments, and virtual reality therapy.
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough ICS announced that its shared care record now shares five types of key mental health documents, helping to provide instant access to more detailed mental health information. The five documents being shared are: care plans; crisis plans; diagnosis extracts; risk assessment; mental health act notices.
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, together with Birmingham Children’s Hospital have been developing the Xploro App to improve the support given to young people during mental health appointments. The app currently helps young people aged between 7-15 years old to better understand their medical conditions, with plans to expand this service to the 16-25 age range, whilst also adding a version specifically for mental health appointments.
