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On 15 April 2026, final-year medical student and HIN intern Sophika Uthayakumar hosted an energising webinar that brought together fresh insights from expert roundtables and national policy papers, spotlighting the innovative strategies and forward-thinking policies shaping the future of mental health today. Sophika’s blog takes an optimistic view on the opportunities that policies present for innovation.

Policy is sometimes treated as the quiet backdrop to innovation but in reality, it’s one of its most powerful drivers. For mental health innovators and those supporting them, understanding policy priorities, shifts, and emerging expectations offers a real strategic advantage.

Policy helps answer some of the most important questions innovators face:
Where is need growing? What funding is available? What evidence will decision-makers expect? And how do ideas move from inception   to practice?

Far from being abstract, policy decisions shape every stage of the commercialisation journey. They influence what gets funded, what gets commissioned, and what ultimately reaches people who need support. In short, policy is a core pillar of the mental health innovation ecosystem.

On Thursday 16 April 2026, I had the pleasure of hosting the Strategies and policies to inform mental health innovation webinar. Below, I share the key reflections and messages from the session, drawing on national policy papers from NHS England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The mental health landscape is undergoing significant and encouraging change. Across the UK, reform is focused on three clear themes: better crisis response, stronger neighbourhood-level care, and deeper collaboration across government departments.

One of the most visible shifts is the investment in 85 Mental Health Emergency Departments (MHEDs). These services represent a major rethink of crisis care, offering people experiencing mental health emergencies an alternative to A&E, led by mental health professionals.

At the same time, policy is moving away from diagnosis-only models and towards whole-pathway care. New digital tools are supporting this shift, including apps that enable self-referral to specialists and allow individuals to view and engage with their care plans more easily.

Neighbourhood health is also becoming central to how services are organised, commissioned and delivered. NHS England has piloted six adult mental health neighbourhood hubs, while Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) are commissioning Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INTs) to provide joined-up physical and mental health support closer to home. These hubs also open up new commissioning opportunities for technologies, including digital apps, XR, hardware-based, wearables and neuromodulation solutions.

Beyond health services, collaboration across departments is expanding. Initiatives such as Best Start Family Hubs, Young Futures Hubs and the Changing Futures Programme reflect a growing commitment to integrating mental health with early years support, education, and wider socioeconomic services particularly for children, young people and families with complex needs.

Current policy papers highlight six priority areas that are shaping the future of mental health innovation:

Each of these reflects rising levels of need alongside clear national commitments.

These range from earlier identification of mental health needs in children and young people, to improving access to diagnostic and therapeutic support for neurodivergent individuals, strengthening employment support for people with severe mental illness, and improving continuity of care for adults and people living with dementia.

Across all areas, policy places strong emphasis on the accelerating role of digital tools and artificial intelligence to personalise care and support whole pathways rather than isolated interventions.

Taken together, these priorities give innovators a clear signal: they show where change is happening, where commissioning is likely to focus, and where well-aligned solutions can have the greatest impact.

Specific commitments, such as those in the Neighbourhood Health Framework and the forthcoming 10 Year Plan, were highlighted in the session slides.

Funding for mental health innovation continues to flow through established routes such as NIHR, Innovate UK, i4i and NICE Technology Appraisals.

However, there is a growing shift in emphasis. Increasingly, these programmes prioritise solutions that support prevention, improve productivity, and address whole care pathways, rather than focusing on single-point interventions.

Recent examples highlight this direction of travel. Innovate UK has invested in dementia biomarkers and diagnostics, alongside a £688 million commitment to support children and young people. This includes funding for CYP-specific mental health teams, mental health training for school staff, and the expansion of digital talking therapies. Mental health support in schools and colleges will continue to be rolled out, with full national coverage expected by 2029–30.

Alongside changes in funding priorities, payment reform is also gaining momentum. Providers are increasingly expected to be paid for delivering effective, ICB-commissioned care, with stronger incentives for high-quality services and the decommissioning of care that does not meet required standards. Neighbourhood health reforms are likely to introduce year-of-care payment models, supporting a shift away from hospital-based activity towards more proactive, preventative care delivered at community level.

The session highlighted five clear messages for innovators:

The policy environment will continue to evolve, with major publications and reforms on the horizon. These include guidance on Neighbourhood Mental Health Hubs, greater clarity on INTs, emerging Modern Service Frameworks for frailty, dementia, mental health and severe mental illness, an Independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD and autism:   and new National Quality Board publications that will define expectations for safe, high-quality care.

Beyond health, planned updates to the school curriculum aim to strengthen emotional literacy and pupil wellbeing, while consultations such as SEND reform offer innovators an opportunity to shape future policy.

There are also clear gaps such as the lack of national guidance on immersive technologies that create space for innovators to help define best practice as these fields mature.

Policy change brings momentum. And with that momentum comes opportunity. As the landscape evolves, mental health innovators are well placed not just to respond but to shape the future of care.

Question 1:

When innovations are aiming to support prevention and early intervention, what factors most influence whether a pilot progresses to commissioned service within neighbourhood mental health models?

Answer:

The factors that most influence whether a prevention focused innovation progresses includes clear alignment with neighbourhood priority areas.

Commissioners look for solutions that address local needs and demands, particularly those that support people in the community and at home, reduce avoidable escalation and strengthen early intervention.

Neighbourhood models also place growing emphasis on the interplay between physical and mental health. Innovations that help clinicians recognise when physical symptoms are driven by mental health deterioration and vice versa, are especially valued.

This sits alongside wider neighbourhood priorities such as cardiovascular health, frailty, and long‑term conditions, where integrated, proactive support can prevent crisis and improve outcomes.

Question 2:

Given the shift from isolated point solutions to whole-pathway approaches, where do you currently see the greatest unmet need for tools that support emotional regulation earlier in the pathway, to reduce escalation into crisis, inpatient admission or long waiting lists?

Answer:

One of the greatest unmet needs sits right at the start of the pathway, where children often lack the tools to recognise their emotions, understand what is happening to them, and seek support early.

But this only works if the infrastructure around the child is strong. Schools and staff need the capacity, confidence and consistent frameworks to notice early signs of distress and respond in a timely, joined‑up way.

The updated RSHE curriculum aims to build emotional literacy, alongside wider investment in mental health training for school staff.

However, we also discussed the real limitations in funding and the challenge of working with schools at scale, which can slow progress and create variability in what support is available.

One attendee shared that her most successful work has come from engaging with schools directly and on a case‑by‑case basis.

Question 3:

Access for support in schools and working with teachers and school leaders to help identify issues early are essential, however funding has never supported this. Schools are already underfunded so a significant shift in policy needs to unlock funding. Any thoughts?

Answer:

What’s striking about support for children and young people in schools is that there is meant to be a whole‑system approach, with the voluntary sector, local authorities, and health services working together. In practice, this collaboration does not always happen.

Greater pooling of budgets, particularly with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), could support more effective early intervention. However, education sits outside the ICB framework, which creates a significant barrier.

As a result, schools often end up funding mental health interventions themselves, despite already being under financial pressure. In some cases, both children and young people’s and adult mental health services also contribute to funding support.

There is a shared desire for increased and more flexible funding to enable creative, preventative solutions that truly support early identification and intervention.

Watch the webinar.
View the webinar slides with reference links.

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Digital technologies including extended reality (XR) are rapidly reshaping how mental healthcare can be delivered, offering new possibilities for treatment, training, and patient engagement.

But while the evidence of benefits of digital mental health is growing, the real challenge lies in the NHS creating the environment for promising solutions to be deployed sustainably at scale.

At a recent Mindset-XR roundtable, leaders explored what it will take to bridge that gap.

Below Health Innovation Network South London's Commercial Director, Anna King, shares her reflections.

At this energising roundtable, chaired by Julian David, OBE, Chief Executive Officer of techUK, and featuring strong engagement from a wide range of stakeholders, we explored how digital technologies, including XR, are already being used to support psychological therapies, workforce training, and patient engagement in new and innovative ways.

The evidence of benefits is growing and these deployments are encouraging. Nevertheless, the infrastructure needed for widespread adoption is still emerging. Much of the digitisation so far has been reactive and tactical, focusing on pathways already in crisis where solutions are solving short-term or localised problems.

Rather than adopting a strategic, scalable approach that uses early digital intervention to reduce reliance on traditional treatment, digital support could be used alongside existing services to improve access, enhance outocmes, and identify when escalation is needed.

Momentum is certainly building with initiatives such as Innovate UK’s Mindset-XR programme which is investing in the development of immersive mental health technologies. Through the Mindset-XR Innovation Support Programme, which we lead along with our delivery partners, innovators are being supported to develop solutions that can be adopted by the NHS.

However, the NHS must now shift from promising pilots to system‑wide adoption.

Mental healthcare need across the UK remains high and continues to grow, particularly among children and young people.

Every month, around 400,000 – 450,000 people are referred into secondary mental health care, and one in five children now has a diagnosable condition, with average waits exceeding 280 days. These pressures lengthen waiting times, strain clinical teams and affect wider economic and societal outcomes such as workforce participation and productivity.

Digital mental health solutions could offer a scalable, cost-effective way to expand access and relieve overstretched services. Evidence shows they can reduce delivery costs compared to traditional therapy models, improve outcomes when used appropriately, and integrate well into blended pathways of care.

The UK digital mental health market is accelerating, growing from around $2 billion in 2024 with projections of $13 billion by 2035. Driven by rising public acceptance, innovation and programmes like Mindset-XR, XR technologies are gaining traction in exposure therapy, skills development and workforce training — expanding their potential impact.

At the roundtable, one of the strongest messages was the economic urgency behind scaling digital mental health.

Broader analysis suggests that health and digital innovations together could boost the UK economy by £278 billion through improved health outcomes and reduced demand on services.

Scale is vital for the UK to achieve this – as digital solutions must operate across more systems as wider deployments will allow the costs of development to be recouped more swiftly, and competition will enable companies to operate at a price point based on marginal cost that is significantly below traditional services.

For the UK, becoming a global leader in digital mental health is therefore not only a social priority but an economic imperative.

Roundtable participants identified four key success factors shared by digital mental health companies that are successfully scaling in the UK:

In our discussions, we noted a clear need for the innovative solutions being developed, but the NHS needs to support more ambitious adoption.

The roundtable highlighted three system-level enablers needed to allow digital mental healthcare to be deployed at scale.

At the roundtable, there was strong shared emphasis on the importance of having a predictable, transparent route from concept to scale. This includes:

When these conditions exist, technologies can scale swiftly from promising pilots to population level impact improving care quality and efficiency. With the right ambition, the UK can lead globally while delivering more accessible, effective and equitable mental healthcare for all.

Read the full Roundtable report.

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The Direct‑to‑Consumer (D2C) pathway is quickly becoming one of the most exciting opportunities for health tech innovators — especially as XR technologies become more commonplace.

With a rapidly expanding market and growing consumer appetite for immersive, personalised health solutions, D2C offers founders a chance to move fast, build strong brand loyalty, and tap into significant revenue potential.

However, while the case for selling straight to the public is strong, the journey is rarely straightforward.

Below are 10 key insights from Dr Emilios Lemoniatis, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and CEO and CCIO of Medical Creatives Ltd, about how innovators can navigate the challenges of D2C to build commercially
viable products.

Building a product that people are willing to pay for is no small feat. Competition is intense, consumer expectations are high, plus you’ll need to price it so it supports sustainable growth without deterring potential customers.

Yet for health‑tech innovators seeking meaningful, scalable revenue, the consumer market remains one of the richest arenas for commercial opportunity.

When you get the value proposition and pricing right, it’s where transformative ideas have the potential to reach millions and make a measurable impact.

A product built for clinicians won’t automatically click with everyday consumers and that’s where many health tech teams hit a wall. Often, the most transformative move isn’t changing the product at all, but reframing it: sharpening the value proposition, focusing on a segment that truly cares, or highlighting benefits in a way that resonates with people who are willing to pay. If fast revenue is the goal, you may need to focus on a different audience.

Passion can spark great ideas, but it can also make it hard to see things objectively. What feels groundbreaking to you may not resonate the same way in the real world. That’s why real‑world testing, honest user feedback, and true market validation should guide your decisions. In a direct‑to‑consumer model, people vote with their wallets — and that’s ultimately the feedback that matters most. Use focus groups early to gather meaningful insights before you go too far down the wrong path.

Many early health tech products grow up inside grant cycles. This environment is supportive but often insulated from commercial pressure. Grants can unintentionally act like a greenhouse, nurturing ideas without exposing them to the realities of the market. When you leave that safe, protected environment, you have to be ready for the real world: customers who care about price, lots of competitors, higher expectations from users, and the need to show that people actually want what you’re offering.

When you rely on a single funding source, like grants, your business can become unexpectedly vulnerable. If that one stream dries up, your momentum goes with it. By blending income sources, including Direct-to-Consumer revenue, you give yourself greater resilience and stability, along with the strategic flexibility you need to grow with confidence rather than dependency.

The “Farmer’s Market” approach
Direct-to-Consumer demands a different kind of presence: direct, personal, and fuelled by real energy. It’s not enough to have a great product; you need compelling storytelling and the confidence to communicate its value in a way that resonates instantly. In this space, your ability to articulate the “why” is just as important as the “what.”

Market‑driven selling
Consumer-facing models are shaped by what people already want, how much they’re‑facing models are shaped by what people already want, how much they’re willing to pay, and what they expect in return including all the unspoken assumptions around support, service, and overall experience. Once you understand which model you’re actually operating in, everything else becomes clearer: how you build, how you sell, and how you grow.

Successful Direct-to-Consumer health tech isn’t driven by demographics, it’s driven by psychology. The real questions are: Who wants your product? Why do they want it? What emotions are shaping their decision? And crucially, how do they expect to feel after they’ve paid you? People don’t just like or dislike a brand. Their feelings are mixed, emotional, and shaped by every interaction they have with you from the very beginning.

NHS procurement pathways can be complex, slow, and fiercely competitive. For many innovators, that makes Direct-to-Consumer a far more straightforward way to prove value in the real world. When people willingly pay for your product, it shows strong proof that they value it. It also gives you a clear, fast way to show real impact.  This evidence can then be used to support NHS procurement later.

It is important that you check the regulatory requirements that fit your product’s intended purpose.

For B2C
Selling direct to consumers does not absolve the need to consider regulation – it’s all about the intended purpose. Products in this space typically sit in the wellness or self-help space, and may not need medical device classification.

For B2B
CE/UKCA marking and a full regulatory pathway may be required to meet procurement requirements.

Being open to framing your product differently for different audiences can unlock opportunities you didn’t even realise were available. A shift in perspective, including a shift in language, can reveal entirely new pathways for growth, relevance, and revenue.

The healthcare system is under pressure, and people increasingly trust recommendations from those they know. That means you can benefit massively from word‑of‑mouth as a driver of growth. When you create a product that helps people and feels meaningful, they naturally tell others about it.

• Marketplace analysis
  What analysis have I done? Who else is operating in my space, and what does my consumer landscape look like?
• Reframing
  Can my product be framed or used in different ways? Are there alternative audiences, use cases, or value propositions that make commercial sense?

• Government response to the Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee Report on Immersive and Addictive Technologies

• MHRA issues new guidance for people using mental health apps and technologies