The quote above is there because it encompasses many aspects of what it means to be a digital mental health service but, sadly, also some of the reasons why progress thus far has been patchy.* Many digital initiatives have an initial fizz of activity but then fizzle out as the focus inevitably moves to something else. The NHS and most healthcare systems are complex systems with feedback loops and built-in compensatory measures. These come into play to restore the status quo and slow down change. They are designed to be safe – but sometimes work too well.

Instead, Matthew Taylor advocates that to bring in lasting change we need to think like a system – which here means digitising all parts of the NHS, placing digital transformation as core to the business of delivering healthcare and having the right incentives built in.