London UK, 23rd February 2022: Kooth, has partnered with myGP, developed by iPlato, to help improve access to mental health services by cutting waiting times for NHS patients and reducing the strain on GPs. 

The collaboration between the two services will offer NHS patients using iPlato’s myGP app the ability to self-refer to the Kooth digital mental health platform. The partnership, which is currently being piloted across 12 regions in England, ahead of its roll out later this year, means patients can self-refer to see a clinician 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing patients with access to an anonymous channel of support with very little wait time.

myGP is consistently one of the UKs most frequently downloaded healthcare management apps – currently boasting almost 2.4million users. It allows patients to book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions, receive vital updates from healthcare professionals and, increasingly, self-refer to other NHS services. This helps to speed up the journey to care, relieving some of the burden on the NHS by reducing unnecessary GP appointments. 

Founded in 2001, Kooth is the only digital mental health provider to hold a UK wide accreditation from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. The easy-to-use platform offers a wide spectrum of proactive and preventative digital mental health services and can be accessed via any internet connected device, such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. 

Alongside the ability to book one-to-one sessions with experienced counsellors, users have access to a fully safeguarded and pre-moderated community with a range of self-help materials.  From being able to read and contribute to self-help stories, seek peer-to-peer support via moderated discussion forums, as well as personal tools such as an online journal and interactive goal tracker, myGP users will be able to personalise their own mental health support. 

Tobias Alpsten, CEO of myGP, said: “We are well-aware the of current strains on the NHS and of how much of that strain is mental health-related; particularly given the collective trauma that we have all just lived through and the backlogs that the pandemic has caused within primary care. We’re delighted to partner with such a reputable mental health services provider; giving our users the opportunity to receive the care they need when they need it while giving our NHS partners a small amount of breathing space.”

Tim Barker, Chief Executive Officer at Kooth Plc, commented: “The pandemic has turned all our lives upside down, and as such it’s never been more important to prioritise our mental health. Early intervention and access to support is crucial in helping to prevent mental issues from spiralling out of control and can have a significant positive impact on the course of mental illness. Kooth helps to remove traditional barriers to care by providing immediate access to effective and confidential support. 

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to treating mental health, and what works for one, may not work for another. By partnering with iPlato and offering different therapeutic approaches, Kooth can be tailored to meet the needs of each myGP app user. And as it is a self-referral tool, it not only streamlines the mental health referral process and increases patient autonomy but will also free up pressure on GPs and other healthcare professionals.”

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About Kooth plc:

Kooth is the UK’s leading digital mental health platform. Our mission is to provide accessible and safe spaces for everyone to achieve better mental health. Our platform is clinically robust and accredited to provide a range of therapeutic support and interventions. All our services are predicated on easy access to make early intervention and prevention a reality.

Our four services are:

•           Kooth: for children and young people

•           Kooth Student: for university and higher-education students

•           Kooth: for adults 

•           Kooth Work: for employees

Kooth is a fully safeguarded and pre-moderated community with a library of peer and professional created content, alongside access to experienced online counsellors. There are no thresholds for support and no waiting lists. Currently, Kooth sees over 4,000 logins a day.

For adults, Kooth operates across distinct locations and serves specific cohorts, including parents, teachers, victims of crime, and those who have suffered from or continue to experience domestic violence. It is also offered as a benefit by a number of corporate organisations delivering anonymous digital mental health support services to employees.

Kooth is the only digital mental health provider to hold a UK-wide accreditation from the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

In 2021, Kooth was named ‘Best Newcomer’ at the European Mediscience Awards, winner in the category of ‘Tech for Good’ at the UK Tech Awards and recognised as the ‘HealthTech Pioneer of the Year’ at the UK Business Tech Awards for its role in ‘Supporting the Nation’s Mental health’.

About iPLATO and myGP

Created by health tech company iPLATO Healthcare, myGP is the UK’s largest independent healthcare management app with over 2 million NHS patient users, and 6,500 medical practices right across the country using the app / platform.

The myGP app was created to give NHS patients improved, and more convenient access to healthcare. By making all services available in one app, users can manage and navigate their own healthcare quickly and efficiently, whilst seeing all the options available to them of which they may not have previously been aware.  

myGP is the health app of choice for over two million NHS patients. Its most popular patient features include:

• Booking appointments – Get access to health professionals at the tap of a button, including GPs, practice nurses, or other relevant and available health experts. No need to call and speak to a receptionist – it can all be managed privately, in-app. 
• Complimentary healthcare services booking – Partner providers give myGP users exclusive access and discounts to complimentary services such as physiotherapy, mental health and nutrition programmes.
• Request repeat prescriptions – Putting an end to writing a letter or completing a form at the practice, patients can request repeat prescription in seconds, in-app, for click-and-collect at the chosen high street pharmacy or for home delivery (popular during the pandemic)
• Helping others access healthcare – Parents have registered hundreds of thousands of dependents to help family groups access the healthcare they need.
• Access to triage and remote consultation services – myGP allows patients to access online consultation services (triage and video consultation) from within the app or provided by NHS-approved providers such as eConsult and DoctorLink.
• Medication reminders – A handy tool to remind patients to take the required medication at the correct, regular intervals. 
• Weight and blood pressure monitoring – a simple tracker for weight and blood pressure, helping people keep an eye on their physical health, and BMI. 

iPLATO Healthcare Ltd Company Registered in England & Wales No: 6131747. Registered Office: One King Street, London, W6 9HR iPLATO Healthcare Ltd takes your data privacy seriously. If you would like to find out more, please see our privacy notices (https://www.iplato.com/privacy).