Local mental health project wins ‘Innovation of the Year’ award

A local mental health programme has been named the winner of the ‘Innovation of the Year’ award at the national Integrated Health Awards 2023.

The Shine Programme is a unique digital approach to support staff and patient wellbeing. It puts tailored mental health support directly in the hands of staff and patients via a mobile app, offering users interactive exercises, advice and resources that improve wellbeing and resilience based on science and research.

The programme is a collaboration between Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB), NHS digital transformation experts Arden & GEM CSU, and evidence-based mental health tool developers, ShinyMind.

This collaborative partnership co-designed and delivered the Shine Programme, which has improved the wellbeing of the primary care workforce while simultaneously enabling patients to better self-manage their mental health.

Susi Clarke, Primary Care Training Hub Lead, BLMK ICB, said: “We created the Shine Programme alongside NHS clinicians to address increasing demand for mental health services in primary care. 

“To date, 91% of staff engaging with the programme have reported an improvement in wellbeing, with 83% of patients saying they would recommend it to others, which is fantastic.

“We are absolutely delighted that the success of this programme has been recognised at the Integrated Health Awards.”

Rebecca Howard, Founder, ShinyMind, said: “We are honoured to win and be recognised as Innovation of the Year alongside Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board and NHS Arden & GEM Commissioning Support Unit, who have helped drive this work to support system change at scale.

“We are excited by the opportunity to further the impact by extending the Shine Programme across BLMK and other ICBs, so we can continue creating virtuous circles of wellbeing support to both primary care staff and the populations they serve.”

The Shine Programme is based on the ShinyMind app, which was originally developed for and co-created with NHS staff. Primary care staff have undertaken virtual training sessions as well as accessing the ShinyMind app, to improve and empower their wellbeing and resilience.

A confidential research questionnaire found that 91% of staff engaging with the programme reported an improvement in wellbeing and 64% reported a greater likelihood to continue working in primary care.

Trained staff are able to prescribe ShinyMind as a wellbeing resource for patients using a bespoke prescribing portal which was designed in partnership with practices. The programme targets citizens aged over-18, including those experiencing anxiety and depression, living with long-term conditions, or facing the greatest health inequalities. Once prescribed, users receive access to ‘LifePacks’ (e.g., coping with anxiety and mental wellness.) that are matched to their needs to deliver personalised support and empower better self-management.

It is hoped the programme will be extended to all GP practices and NHS Talking Therapies services in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. Among the expected long-term benefits are improved morale, better access for patients via the digital solution, fewer health inequalities and reduced staff workload.

Find out more about the Integrated Health Awards on their website.