New partnership to address NHS market

Ultrasis PLC

("Ultrasis" or the "Company")

Ultrasis - New Partnership to address NHS Market

Ultrasis, a leading provider of interactive health care services, is pleased to announce a new business partnership with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) to deliver a range of mental health services across the public and private sectors. The services will initially be targeted at Health Care Commissioning Groups, which are now responsible for commissioning NHS healthcare across England.

The two organisations will establish a jointly-owned company, in which they will hold equal shares, to deliver a range of computerised healthcare products and clinical interventions - including Ultrasis' leading "Beating the Blues" therapy programme for stress and depression. CWP will lead on the provision of telephone and on-site clinical interventions to support the on-line components, so providing a comprehensive solution to patient needs in a safe, secure and highly effective way.

Sheena Cumiskey, Chief Executive of CWP, said: "The aim of this new business partnership is to improve health and well-being by providing high quality, evidence-based mental healthcare that is both 'user friendly' and cost effective. By bringing together the computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) programme 'Beating the Blues' and CWP's robust clinical pathways, we will be in a strong position to deliver a wide range of services across a number of key sectors including healthcare, business and education for the benefit of patients, employers/employees and healthcare professionals respectively."

John Smith, Chief Executive of Ultrasis, added: "This is a significant development for our business and marks the start of our strategic refocus to become "a provider of comprehensive healthcare solutions rather than just a developer of software. CWP has an exceptional reputation for quality service provision and excellent clinical governance arrangements, both of which are required to meet the needs of the new commissioning arrangements of the NHS."

He added: "This innovative approach will enable the partnership to provide high quality services to address the growing national need for accessible and affordable mental health services and open up opportunities to bid for and manage significant contracts in the NHS and private sector."

For more information on Ultrasis and the partnership visit: www.ultrasis.com

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Editor's notes:

Ultrasis is a healthcare company with core expertise in health, psychology, software development and programme management. We deliver computerised healthcare products to the consumer, the NHS, the corporate sector and other healthcare providers in the UK and US.

Ultrasis was the first company to offer computerised products based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and interactive multimedia, and is still the world leader in this field. The products help people tackle stress, anxiety and depression, and a full spectrum of related chronic conditions.

For more information about Ultrasis please visit www.ultrasis.com 

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) serves people across Cheshire and Wirral with services also provided to other areas, for example Trafford and Bolton. CWP also provides some specialist services on a regional footprint. Its activities have always been to provide primary and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, child and adolescent mental health and drug and alcohol services - as well as a range of specialist services such as eating disorder services. Since 2011, CWP also provides community physical health services in Western Cheshire. The Trust provides these services in partnership with local authorities, service users, carers and the voluntary/independent sectors.

The Trust is also a major local employer with more than 3,400 staff, working over 65 sites and serving a population of over a million people. The Foundation Trust also has over 15,000 members.

For more information about the Trust and its services visit www.cwp.nhs.uk 

Media enquiries:

For all enquiries relating to Ultrasis please contact

For all media enquiries relating to Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust please contact Jodie D'Enrico on 01244 397407 or email [email protected]