A front-door screening tool for NHS Talking Therapies
Pre-assessment screening. Step 1 intervention. Population health intelligence. Designed for IAPT pathways, built for NHS compliance.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Demand far exceeds capacity
1.82 million referrals to NHS Talking Therapies in 2022/23
The initial assessment appointment is often the longest wait
During the waiting period, patients currently receive nothing
Digital tools are explicitly part of the NICE-recommended stepped care model
Assess Your Stress is not a replacement for NHS Talking Therapies. It is a front-door screening tool and a Step 1 intervention for people whose needs are best met by structured self-assessment, personalised psychoeducation, and Ai-guided stress management, rather than a series of face-to-face therapy sessions.
INTEGRATION POINTS
Three ways to integrate
A
Pre-Assessment Screening (Quickest Win)
Offered to every person on the waiting list immediately upon referral. Gives the patient something useful while they wait. Pre-screens for the clinical team. Captures the baseline for outcome measurement.
Requires no change to existing clinical pathways. It simply adds a digital tool at a point where nothing currently exists.
B
Step 1 Intervention (Core Opportunity)
For people whose initial screening indicates mild to moderate stress without a clear diagnosable anxiety or depressive disorder. Assessment identifies their Stress Continuum placement and affected domains. Personalised report provides immediate psychoeducation. Ai chatbot provides ongoing support. Reassessment at 4, 8, and 12 weeks tracks progress.
C
Population Health Intelligence (Strategic)
Anonymised, aggregated stress data across community, workplace, and NHS pathways. Understand stress distribution by locality, demographic, and setting. Identify emerging hotspots before they translate into clinical demand. Fulfil JSNA statutory requirements with real-time data.
Our 4-tier model maps directly to stepped care
| Tier | Stress Continuum | Stepped Care Alignment |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Thriving | Step 1: Self-help resources and psychoeducation |
| Amber | Surviving | Step 2: Guided self-help, workshops, group work |
| Orange | Struggling | Step 3: High-intensity psychological interventions |
| Red | Crisis | Immediate signposting to crisis services and clinical review |
We sit upstream, not in competition
We are not asking you to replace existing digital tools. We help you decide which tool is right for each person.
SilverCloud/AmwellCBT programmes for people already assessed. AYS determines who should use them.
WysaGeneral-purpose Ai chatbot. AYS provides structured assessment data that Wysa cannot.
Beating the BluesDepression-focused cCBT. AYS covers stress across 4 domains.
TogetherallPeer support community. AYS assesses, Togetherall provides ongoing community.
Kooth/QwellCounsellor-delivered support. AYS is self-service at a fraction of the cost per contact.
Designed for NHS-grade requirements
| Requirement | Status |
|---|---|
| Data Security & Protection Toolkit (DSPT) | Planned, 2–4 months to prepare |
| DCB0129 Clinical Safety Case | Planned, Clinical Safety Officer to be appointed |
| DTAC Assessment Criteria | Partially aligned, architecture meets core requirements |
| ISO 27001 (Information Security) | Architecture designed for readiness |
| ISO 42001 (Ai Management) | Architecture designed for readiness |
| NICE Evidence Standards | Tier 1 evidence from community pilots. Tier 2 from NHS pilot. |
UK-hosted data. GDPR-compliant. Individual data fully removable on account deletion.
COMMERCIAL MODELS
Flexible commissioning options
Block Contract
Most Common- Small pilot: 500–1,000 assessments/year, £15,000–£30,000
- Standard commission: 2,000–5,000 assessments, £50,000–£125,000
- Full integration: 5,000–15,000 assessments, £100,000–£300,000
Per-Contact
- Assessment only: £18–£25 per completed assessment
- Assessment + Ai support: £30–£50 per contact
- For context: average NHS Talking Therapies course costs £450–£2,500. AYS represents 5–10% of that cost.
Pilot Grant Funding
Entry Route- NHS Innovation, AHSN programmes, ICB transformation budgets
- Typical: £20,000–£80,000 for 12 months
- Generates the evidence base for full commissioning
Building the evidence base
Tier 1
Practice-Based Evidence (Available Now)
Completion rates, user satisfaction, stress distribution, safeguarding effectiveness from community and workplace pilots.
Tier 2
Pilot Outcome Study (12–18 months)
Structured NHS pilot measuring pre/post scores, clinical team feedback, cost comparison, patient experience.
Tier 3
Academic Validation (2–3 years)
Formal research study with university partner. Publishable evidence for national commissioning and NICE alignment.
The business does not wait for Tier 3. It grows on Tier 1 and 2 evidence while the academic study runs in parallel.
Ready to explore a pilot?
We're actively seeking NHS partners for pilot deployments. Whether you're an ICB commissioner, a Talking Therapies service manager, or a GP practice looking for an immediate resource for patients, we'd love to discuss how Assess Your Stress can support your service.
Discuss a Pilot