A NELFT mental health app has scooped the Award for Digital Innovation at the 2017 NHS Digital Pioneer Awards. The MyMind app was co-designed by young people and clinicians at the Trust, with the project being co-founded by Emma Selby, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Sam Illaiee, Operational Lead for Children’s Specialist Services.

The aim of the awards, co-ordinated by DigitalHealth.London and supported by NHS England, is to recognise the leadership and forward-thinking of those driving innovation and sustainability within the NHS in London.

The MyMind app was created to meet a growing need for better adolescent mental health care; the app signposts users to approved advice and support, enables them to manage their recovery journey with appointment reminders and access to care plans, and has video messaging technology to encourage communication with their clinicians. More than 50,000 children and young people turned to NSPCC’s Childline last year because of a serious mental health problem, and the Department of Health’s Five Year Forward View has highlighted access to preventative support for young people as a priority.

MyMind, branded a digital revolution in children’s mental health, was one of three category winners announced by Juliet Bauer, Director of Digital Experience at NHS England, at today’s DigitalHealth.London/collaborate event, attended by over 120 NHS leaders.

Emma Selby, who accepted the award, said: “We are delighted to have been recognised as an NHS Digital Pioneer Award winner. The MyMind app offers preventative support and improved communication for children and young people suffering with mental health concerns.

“Putting young people at the heart of the design process has resulted in technology that does exactly what they asked for, alongside meeting clinicians’ needs and expectations.”

Sam Illaiee added: “MyMind has been an incredible journey. The power of collaboration between clinical operations and developers in IT has been astonishing. What I understood from this journey is that when the trust values are in alignment with the spirit energy and drive of the wonderful staff we have - anything is possible.

“The ambitions were high, and the togetherness across the organisation and beyond to bring this to life has truly humbled both Emma and me. Thank you to everyone involved in bringing this together and we hope that we really can take NELFT and the NHS to the next level of service delivery and transformation.”

Yinka Makinde, Programme Director at DigitalHealth.London, commented: “The MyMind app is a wonderful demonstration of experience based co-design. The functionality of the MyMind app, enabling young service users to complete their own outcome measures and instant message with clinicians, all while automatically updating the electronic patient record, is truly innovative.

“DigitalHealth.London is delighted to recognise NELFT’s MyMind app project team, alongside all of our winners and finalists, for their drive, commitment and forward-thinking approach to transforming healthcare delivery, through the inaugural NHS Digital Pioneer Awards. We look forward to showcasing their ongoing work and further progression throughout the year ahead.”

For further information about the NELFT MyMind app, visit: www.nelft.nhs.uk/my-mind

To read more about the 2017 NHS Digital Pioneer Awards, visit the Digital Health website at: http://digitalhealth.london/digital-pioneer-award-winners/

Pictured (L-R) are Umesh Gadhvi (Director of Healthcare Informatics), Emma Selby and Kulvir Gakhal (ICT Project Lead).