We’re delighted to announce that ChatHealth has been formally recognised in the newly refreshed Healthy Child Programme (HCP) published by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The updated national guidance for the commissioning and delivery of 0–19 public health nursing services cites ChatHealth as an effective model of practice, highlighting the role of secure digital communication tools in supporting children, young people and families. The HCP recognises the value of messaging platforms such as ChatHealth in enhancing day‑to‑day public health nursing practice, providing timely, confidential support, and improving equity of access alongside traditional service delivery.

Caroline Palmer, ChatHealth Clinical Lead for LPT’s Digital Health Transformation Service, said: “The inclusion of ChatHealth in the Healthy Child Programme is a fantastic accolade and a testament to the dedication of the amazing public health nursing teams using ChatHealth every day to support children, young people and families across England. We’re thrilled to see the platform recognised nationally for its impact across school nursing and health visiting.”

ChatHealth was developed by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) and first piloted in 2013 across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) as a safe and secure way for young people to contact school nurses via messaging. The service has been adopted widely by other NHS Trusts across the country and continues to demonstrate strong outcomes in improving access and engagement.

Impact in School Nursing

A recent report by SAPHNA found that 60% of survey respondents in school nursing services now offer text services to young people and 40% provide text services to parents and carers.

In Kent, an increase in engagement with young people was achieved by promoting their ChatHealth messaging service on the social media platform Snapchat. The service saw a 700% increase in young people contacting school nurses via ChatHealth during the six-week pilot and has supported access for groups experiencing health inequity, including young males, young people not in education and high-risk young people previously unknown to services.

ChatHealth’s effectiveness in improving access and engagement is well-evidenced by the positive feedback received from service users. Many young people report feeling more comfortable reaching out for help via messaging than through face-to-face contact.

One young person shared: “I’ve never really been the person to open up a lot but ChatHealth has really helped me and shown that help is out there.”

Parents and carers also value the convenience of reaching health professionals via messaging.

One parent said: “I would like to say how helpful and encouraging it is to know a parent can easily text to ask for advice. Especially for working parents!”

Impact in Health Visiting

Around 40% of health visiting services in England offer ChatHealth to parents and carers of children aged 0-5 to provide easier access to support. A case study published by the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) demonstrated that swift advice via text from a health visitor can avoid the need for a GP appointment or going to the Emergency Department. The evaluation study in Derbyshire asked parents where they would have gone if ChatHealth had not been available, with 41% saying they would have gone to the GP and 11% would have used the internet. There was a high level of user satisfaction with 85% of parents who used ChatHealth saying the service helped them.

One parent shared: “I find this service so helpful. Not having to schedule a call, texting is far easier as a busy Mum. I feel like everyone I’ve spoken to is thorough, thoughtful and supportive without judgement.”

A peer-reviewed paper in the RCNi Primary Health Journal on ChatHealth’s use in health visiting reflects on how health visiting services can successfully implement a messaging service for parents and carers of young children.

For more information about ChatHealth, visit chathealth.nhs.uk or see the latest Impact Report