The Daylight App – for anxiety and worry

From 9th September 2024, South Yorkshire GP Practices will be able to offer patients the Daylight App, a free, evidence based, digital treatment for anxiety and worry. The Daylight App has been rolled out / extensively used in Scotland and is now being launched in England in South Yorkshire.

Anxiety is a pervasive problem for our patients. 40% of adults experience moderate to high levels and anxiety and annually, up to 20% of adults consulting their GPs for non-mental health complaints also have episodes of an anxiety disorder. Despite this, and the clear recommendation by NICE for psychological interventions early in the treatment journey, only 10% of GAD patients overall receive these.

The Daylight App delivers CBT through a structured programme via a smartphone that patients (18+) can access instantly, in their own time and at no cost. The app provides instant access to NICE 1st line recommended treatment for anxiety and will provide clinicians with another option when considering whether to start patients on medications. Patients do not need to be referred or prescribed the app, they simply need to visit www.trydaylight.com/nhs to get started. For healthcare professionals, it provides them with another non-drug option when considering whether to start patients on medications.

Daylight is being provided free to patients and to South Yorkshire primary care teams as part of an economic evaluation partnership, led by Health Innovation Yorkshire and Humber, South Yorkshire ICB and Big Health. Patients will be able to start Daylight at any point in a 15-month period and will then go on to have subsequent access for a further 12 months. The ongoing availability of Daylight beyond this date is subject to the successful evaluation and outcomes of the project.

Materials are also available online at: www.bighealth.co.uk/resources

You can also find helpful information on Daylight and how to refer your patients at www.bighealth.co.uk/lp/primarycare.