Flow & the NHS
Flow’s mission is to make mental health care more accessible.
Therefore, our aim is for Flow to be available on the NHS to ensure as many people as possible can access our depression treatment.
Currently you can only access Flow through the NHS if you live in Northamptonshire or Leicestershire, or if you are a UK-based NHS clinician suffering from depression.
Read what the NHS are saying about Flow
Click the papers below to read the full article
"Having an intervention which is effective, measurable and with limited side effects is very promising."
"Flow has been successfully integrated into a primary care service depression treatment"
"The results support the use of Flow as a treatment option for Community Mental Health patients with symptoms of depression."
"Northamptonshire's Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service are offering Flow to their patients with a diagnosis of depression"
Five programmes live
Since March 2023 Flow has been available on the NHS to thousands of people across 5 programmes in Primary Care, Community Mental Health, Perinatal Services, and to NHS clinicians via NHS Practitioner Health. These programmes are primarily focused on whether Flow can be easily integrated into how clinicians work in the NHS.
Primary Care
Since March 2023 Flow has been successfully offered to patients as an alternative to antidepressants or therapy at select GP practices in Northamptonshire.
The programme has been a success and the results published in a scientific journal. The publication concludes that "Flow has been successfully integrated into a primary care service depression treatment...The results support the use of Flow as a treatment option for people with symptoms of depression."
Perinatal services
Since September 2023, Flow has been offered to women suffering from postpartum depression who do not want to use antidepressants in Northamptonshire.
It involves the Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service and Maternal Loss Psychology Service, and the treatment has seen "significant improvements on measures of depression severity, meaningful activity functioning, and quality of life."
Community Mental Health
From July 2023, Flow has been offered in combination with other treatments such as antidepressants or therapy.
Will McIlhiney, a Community Mental Health Practitioner, said: “Being able to offer Flow has been very well received from our patient group. One of the common themes I notice when I discuss Flow with a patient is that people feel optimistic that there are other options for them."
The Northamptonshire Trust concluded that Flow had been successfully integrated into a primary care service depression treatment, and that the results support the use of Flow as a treatment option for people with symptoms of depression.
NHS Practitioner Health
Since January 2024, NHS clinicians that are suffering from depression will now be offered Flow as a treatment option via NHS Practitioner Health.
This is our first UK-wide programme involving NHS practitioners as we strive to support those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
Our NHS programmes in the media
"The NHS is extending trials to cover postnatal depression and NHS medical staff who have depression."
"The NHS is trialling an electric headset which aims to reduce symptoms of depression."
“This innovative technology is a significant milestone in mental health care"
"For the NHS a rollout of the technique could save money on prescriptions and improve take-up of treatment"
See what our NHS patients say
The effect Flow had, I think it’s been quite groundbreaking for me and my depression and anxiety, it’s been a life changer.
I’m feeling better in myself. I feel more confident, and I feel less anxious about being myself, and I’ll chat with people in the supermarket.
It’s had a tremendous impact in terms of positivity and wanting to get involved in doing things.
Since using it I’m happy, I’m energetic, I'm motivated.
I say my sleeping improved pretty quickly, after using it….I think within the first week.
I feel more confident, I feel a little bit stronger in myself… rather than hiding myself away.
I’ve gained confidence...I’m actually making sure that I do take part in life now and not just withdraw.
I can hold a conversation now. Whereas previously, I couldn’t think of how to keep a conversation going.
NICE reviews Flow
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, or NICE, is an independent body that advises the NHS on the use of health technologies.
In 2015 they first reviewed tDCS, the technology that Flow uses, concluding that "The evidence on tDCS for depression raises no major safety concerns. There is some evidence of efficacy but there are uncertainties about the specific mode of administration, the number of treatments needed and the duration of effect."
Due to a significant amount of new evidence, in 2023 NICE completed a further review of Flow concluding that "There is high-quality, comparative evidence from the UK that Flow can improve symptoms of depression and lead to remission". NICE interviewed a number of clinical experts and "none of the clinical experts were aware of any issues that could prevent this technology or procedure being adopted in the NHS".
Dr Azhar Zafar uses Flow with his patients
Dr Azhar is leading one of 5 NHS programmes across the UK to see if GPs can integrate Flow into their current workflows:
“Flow has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our patients, who have reported improvements in their emotional well-being, increased energy levels, and overall functioning. Patients experience minimal discomfort or side effects during its use. Some patients have come off their antidepressants as a result of using Flow."
Our future with the NHS
These programmes are just the start of Flow’s efforts to ensure patients can access its treatment via the NHS, and Flow is in active conversations to try and bring its depression treatment to other regions.
If you work within the NHS and would like to see Flow offered to your patients, please contact partnerships@flowneuroscience.com.
If you are a patient and would like to speak to your clinician (GP, Psychiatrist) about Flow, we'd recommend taking this information leaflet with you.