Haman Manak, deputy managing director of Stanmore, argues that mental health support in the UK needs to go digital – and the Commonwealth has the blueprint.
The UK is in the midst of a mental health waiting list crisis. Every day, people are finding themselves unable to access the services they need, with the longest waits for mental health care reaching up to almost two years.
The consequences are dire. 87% of people waiting for care say their conditions worsened while waiting for treatment. Some were forced to give up work while waiting. And in the most difficult situations, others attempted suicide.
Mental health services in the UK simply aren’t resourced to meet the increasing demand for treatment and support. And while there isn’t a cure-all for the UK’s ailing mental health service, there’s a compelling case for digital mental health interventions.
Digitalisation is central to the NHS’s 10 Year Health Plan – and the recently announced NHS Online service is at the heart of that strategy. Due in 2027, it’ll be launched nationwide, providing a ready-made platform for deploying digital mental health interventions at scale.
But to make the most of this opportunity, the UK should draw on the expertise of its Commonwealth neighbours who have already widely deployed digital mental health tools.
The case for digital tools
Years of underfunding, growing demand, and workforce shortages have resulted in a mental health service that’s buckling under the strain. But digital tools offer an avenue for change.
By giving people instant access to support, from remote counselling to self-management apps, they reduce the number of low-acuity cases sitting on waiting lists – freeing clinicians to focus on people with more complex needs. They also allow for earlier intervention and reduce the risk of relapse by enabling people to seek support more regularly.
One approach – Internet-delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (ICBT) – has proven to be an effective intermediary treatment for overstretched services. A 2019 study found that people with mild-to-moderate conditions experienced significantly greater symptom improvement than those who remained on waiting lists.
And the NHS already has proof that digital tools can relieve pressure on parts of the system. Digital triage systems, like one hospital’s virtual follow-up service for low-risk inflammatory bowel disease, have reduced waiting times by 58%. The health context differs, but the underlying logic is the same: letting people seek help when they need it works.
NHS Online provides the perfect platform for deploying digital mental health interventions at scale. By creating a national infrastructure that can host proven international tools, it makes this the moment for the UK to look outward, not inward.
Haman Manak, deputy managing director of Stanmore.
Looking to the Commonwealth
As the NHS broadens its digital services, the UK’s fellow Commonwealth nations, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, offer a blueprint for what compassionate digital mental health care looks like.
During the pandemic, they used digital tools to connect citizens with psychologists, social workers, and self-help support at no cost – proving how scalable digital mental health services are in periods of high demand.
Australia offers a compelling example of how effective these tools can be when they’re designed around users. Its online service, MOST, was built to fill gaps in youth mental health provision and co-designed with young people and clinicians. It saw marked improvements in depression and anxiety, and satisfaction levels were high.
But the UK should go beyond simply taking inspiration from countries like Australia. It should form a digital mental health alliance with its Commonwealth partners.
Many have already developed models for digital support. Partnering with them would enable the UK to pilot proven tools and adapt them to local needs, rather than starting from scratch. With existing frameworks for joint development, skill-sharing, and similar legal systems, the Commonwealth offers one of the few international partnerships where joint development can happen quickly, safely, and with minimal friction.
For the UK, there is a clear economic upside to cross-border collaboration. Development costs are lowered, timelines shortened, and risks are shared – meaning tools can reach patients sooner. In return, waiting times are reduced, and less pressure is put on in-person services, unlocking long-term cost savings for the NHS.
Keeping compassion at the heart of care
While the case for digitalisation is strong, it comes with a crucial caveat. Mental health support must remain compassionate and evidence-based. Not every app is credible, and not every digital pathway will suit every person.
But that’s also what makes cross-border collaboration so valuable. It enables countries to rigorously test and share solutions on a scale far greater than if the UK were going it alone.
Digital care is not, and should never be, a replacement for in-person interventions or medication. But for those with milder conditions, it offers earlier, faster support.
The UK’s current approach to mental health is not working – and patients and healthcare providers are paying the price. Commonwealth collaboration offers a realistic way to shorten queues, strengthen early intervention, and stop the system from buckling altogether.