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Chat Mental Health wins prestigious national recognition at the HSJ Digital Awards 2026

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Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) and Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) are proud to announce that they have been named as a winner in the Improving Mental Health in Digital category at the HSJ Digital Awards 2026, recognising outstanding achievements in harnessing digital technology to improve healthcare outcomes across the UK.

The HSJ Digital Awards, held on Tuesday 19 May 2026 at The ICC in Birmingham, recognise the power of digital initiatives to transform patient care, improve access to services, and deliver more efficient, equitable healthcare. In their joint entry, NHFT’s Integrated Response Hub, known as the mental health number, and LPT’s Digital Health Transformation Service (DHTS) were recognised for the implementation of LPT’s Chat Mental Health messaging service in Northamptonshire, which improves access to mental health crisis support. The project impressed judges for its impactful innovation, scalability and ability to deliver inclusive, round-the-clock care.

Christine Edwards, Service Manager for the Integrated Response Hub at NHFT, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have received the HSJ Digital Award. This recognition reflects the dedication of the ChatHealth team, who have worked tirelessly to embed a 24-hour text service into our crisis pathway. By removing barriers for those who are unable to use the telephone, we are now able to offer a truly inclusive, accessible service.

The feedback from our service users speaks volumes about the difference ChatHealth is making – providing support at any time, in a way that works for them, and helping to keep people safe. It was an amazing evening, and we are deeply grateful to see this work recognised.”

Caroline Palmer, DHTS Clinical Lead at LPT, said:

“We’re incredibly proud of the Chat Mental Health win at the HSJ Digital Awards for Improving Mental Health through Digital. This is a fantastic achievement that reflects the commitment, hard work and dedication behind delivering such a successful and impactful service – both by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, who developed the ChatHealth technology, and the collaborative working with Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust.

“This award celebrates the positive difference the Northamptonshire team is making in improving access to mental health crisis support, and how they are leading the way for other mental health services across England to set up their own Chat Mental Health messaging support within their local communities.”

The judging panel – composed of influential figures from across the health and digital sectors – praised NHFT for implementing ChatHealth in partnership with LPT to offer discreet, timely and inclusive support via text, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Now managing more than 600 conversations each month, the service is reducing pressure on phone lines, improving staff efficiency and empowering service users to seek help in a way that suits them.

This national recognition highlights the strength of partnership working between NHFT and LPT and reinforces the role of both Trust’s as digital leaders within the NHS. It also highlights the importance of innovation, collaboration, and patient-centric design in driving forward digital transformation.

An anonymous user of the Chat Mental Health service in Northamptonshire said:

“Talking on the phone can feel impossible. Sometimes I freeze or cannot get the words out. Sometimes waiting on hold just makes everything worse. ChatHealth takes that barrier away. I can type when I am ready, in my own words, at my own pace. I can be blunt and literal and that is accepted. That matters.

“When the service became 24/7, it made a huge difference. A crisis does not stick to office hours, and having support at any time of day or night has kept me safe more than once.

“ChatHealth is not like other helplines because it is integrated with the NHS. Staff can see my records, understand the full picture, and act if I am at real risk. That is lifesaving. I would not be here without that.”

The HSJ Digital Awards received a record number of entries this year, reflecting the scale and pace of digital innovation taking place across UK health and care settings.

For more information about the awards, visit: https://digitalawards.hsj.co.uk

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ChatHealth earns national recognition in refreshed Healthy Child Programme

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 

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ChatHealth shortlisted for 2 HSJ Digital Awards

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Double award win for ChatHealth in Innovate Awards

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