babylon, the digital health service, has expanded into the mental health sector with the launch of babylon Therapy.
The new offering aims to transform access to mental health professionals by providing phone and video consultations with therapists within days at a time and place that suits patients.
Currently those seeking counselling with the NHS face long waiting times, with 1 in 10 waiting more than a year to be seen and many not seeking help at all due to the feared stigma surrounding mental illness. It is estimated that 16 million people suffer from a mental health illness yet only 2 million receive any treatment.
babylon is hoping its ‘therapist in your pocket’ model will help combat widespread mental health issues across the UK which costs the economy £123.8bn a year. With stress now the second most common cause of absence from work it’s also expected to be a welcome addition to the ‘babylon for Business’ service the company already provides to employees through corporate partners.
babylon Therapy sessions last 50 minutes, cost £49 and are available to users over 16. Records from the consultations are stored securely so patients can access them at any time. Delivering therapy on a digital platform enables the service to be affordable and more approachable for patients, who will be able to talk to therapists wherever they feel most comfortable or have the most privacy, whether it’s at home, at the office, or even from abroad.
“Mental health issues are a modern day epidemic causing untold suffering for so many and our society’s entire approach to it needs a fundamental overhaul,” said Dr Ali Parsa, founder & CEO of Babylon.
“From the cultural stigma to the operational management of the delivery of treatment, everything needs a rethink. Many organisations and individuals within the public, voluntary and private sector are now working hard to tackle various aspects of the problem, but a lot more is needed.
“babylon is taking a big step today to provide a modern solution to this modern epidemic and we would love to work with others and the NHS to expand the service to all that need it.”
babylon’s existing service lets users act upon health concerns quickly by accessing medical professionals within minutes through video consultations, phone calls or text messages.
Users can also get to know their bodies better with a world class monitoring system which keeps track of everything from key organ functions to cholesterol levels. The information is then analysed by babylon doctors who can suggest preventative measures patients can adopt to plan ahead and help safeguard their health.
Mental health is currently one of the top five most common medical queries babylon doctors receive. Rebecca Minton, therapy service lead at Babylon, said: “Giving people access to digital therapy will address several of the key barriers many face when trying to access treatment.
“Certain patients will be more suited to a phone consultation from home where they can experience a degree of anonymity. It also gives people the ability to schedule appointments during their free time, such as lunch breaks to avoid taking time off work to travel to clinics.
“Overall we see this digital mental health offering opening up therapy services to a much broader group of people.”