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Dr Jade Thai, Senior Research Lead, Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC), Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

The Forum for Mental Health Technology Innovators in Liverpool on 27 March, organised by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) HealthTech Research Centre for Mental Health (MindTech) on behalf of the NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC) UK Mental Health Mission (MHM), brought together a diverse group of stakeholders including several of the UKRI funded Mindset innovators to explore the future of mental health care through technology.  

The Forum was held at the iconic Royal Liver Building in Liverpool in recognition of the advances made in mental health research by Liverpool’s Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) – a partnership between Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Liverpool.

By connecting academic researchers, healthcare providers, industry innovators, and service users, the forum provided a platform for discussing how emerging technologies like XR (Extended Reality), Big Data, and AI can be applied in clinical mental health care settings. 

Key themes included: 

•     Collaboration across sectors: The event demonstrated the power of bringing together diverse stakeholders – from innovators and clinicians to academic researchers and service users. The shared enthusiasm stemmed from the success stories of overcoming challenges through collaboration, showing how a unified approach could lead to more impactful mental health solutions. 

•     Overcoming barriers: Challenges such as navigating regulatory pathways,  engaging with the NHS, and securing funding were discussed. Speakers and panellists shared their experiences, offering insights on how these hurdles could be overcome and how innovators could better navigate the complex landscape of healthcare technology. 

•     Bridging the gap between innovation and clinical needs: A critical discussion centred on the tension between entrepreneurial innovation and the real-world needs of clinicians and service users. Innovators were encouraged to move beyond creating technologies based on assumptions “We’ve built it, they will come” and instead focus on co-designing solutions based on the needs and feedback of those directly impacted by mental health issues. 

•     Real-world insights: Innovators gained valuable direct feedback from clinicians and service users, helping them refine their products and align them more closely with the NHS care pathways. This interaction emphasised the importance of understanding the lived experience and ensuring that technology solutions complement human care rather than replace it entirely. 

•     Human-centred technology: NHS professionals reinforced the need for technology to be used in a way that supports and enhances care rather than diminishing the human aspect of mental health services. There was a shared understanding that innovation must always be balanced with duty of care and must be designed to be safe, accessible, and beneficial for both patients and clinicians. 

The atmosphere of the day was positively charged – and it was apparent how delighted the innovators and industry reps were to meet clinicians, academics and support organisations such as MindTech, M-RIC and the Health Innovation Network.  

Several innovators had the opportunity to demonstrate their products including those supported by the Mindset-XR Innovator Support Programme such as Anagram, Human Studio, PWFL Health, Scenegraph Studios, SyncVR and Tend VR.  

By the end of the forum, many attendees I spoke to felt more informed about the complex landscape of mental health technology innovation.  

Specifically, innovators left with clearer pathways for collaboration, access to NHS resources, and a deeper understanding of how to align their work with the needs of both service users and healthcare professionals. 

Overall, the event highlighted the exciting potential for technology to transform mental health care, while emphasising the need for collaboration, human-centred design, and a deep understanding of the real-world challenges faced by both healthcare providers and those with lived experience.