DDM Health is a leading provider of NICE-recommended, NHS DTAC-approved digital health solutions. Its flagship platform, Gro Health, supports people to manage their physical and mental health through evidence-based behaviour change tools, co-produced clinical pathways and structured coaching. With a strong focus on health inequalities and underserved populations, Gro Health has been deployed across NHS pathways to support long-term condition management, mental wellbeing and healthy weight services.
Across the UK, growing numbers of people are facing long-term mental health challenges without timely access to effective support. Many of these individuals also live with comorbidities such as obesity, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular risk factors. DDM recognised the urgent need to deliver integrated digital support to these communities and sought a credible, clinically-assured route to improve discoverability and adoption of their platform.
DDM Health partnered with Mind to list Gro Health on the Mind Digital Tool Library, a curated and trusted space helping users, carers and professionals find safe, evidence-based digital mental health tools.
The onboarding process involved clear guidance and supportive dialogue around information governance, clinical validation, and user accessibility. This enabled DDM Health to showcase Gro Health in a way that highlights its regulatory compliance, peer-reviewed evidence base and inclusive approach to health behaviour change.
Gro Health is now featured on the Mind Digital Tool Library and accessible to thousands of individuals seeking effective self-guided mental health support. The platform delivers:
In a separate eating disorder-focused pathway, outcomes included a 44% improvement in ED-15 scores, 42% increase in self-esteem, and a 49% reduction in binge episodes.
Gro Health has been shown to be effective across a wide range of clinical needs – from emotional eating and depression to sleep, anxiety and self-worth – and was recognised with the HSJ Award 2024 for Empowering Patients with Digital.
The partnership with Mind helps extend DDM Health’s impact to a broader audience of users and referrers seeking trusted digital tools. By improving visibility through the Mind Library, Gro Health is now better positioned to support underserved individuals – including those in socioeconomically deprived communities, ethnic minority groups, and people facing barriers to face-to-face services.
The collaboration reinforces both organisations’ shared commitment to reducing health inequalities through early intervention, prevention, and digital inclusion.
“Being listed on the Mind Library is a meaningful step in amplifying our reach and making mental health support more accessible. Mind is a trusted voice and our partnership helps ensure that our evidence-based digital platform can support those who might otherwise fall through the gaps.”
Arjun Panesar, CEO & Head of AI and Ethics at DDM Health and Honorary Associate Professor at Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
With a focus on delivering personalised, scalable interventions, DDM Health plans to continue working with partners like Mind to strengthen its presence in digital mental health. The team is also expanding into targeted interventions for eating disorders, neurodivergent populations, and underserved women’s health communities – all with a commitment to evidence, inclusion and measurable outcomes.
24th April 2024: As healthcare systems around the world contend with rising costs, growing patient demand, and workforce shortages, the need for safe, high-quality digital health solutions has never been greater. These pressures create a significant opportunity for ORCHA, the global leader in digital health distribution and assurance, which has secured additional funding from its longstanding investors, Bill Currie and Sir Terry Leahy. This investment will fuel ORCHA’s continued international expansion, enabling more healthcare providers to integrate trusted digital tools that enhance patient outcomes and system performance.
Backed by committed and financially strong investors, ORCHA is well-positioned to accelerate its mission of transforming healthcare through safe, effective, and innovative digital health solutions. This new investment empowers ORCHA to further support health systems worldwide in selecting, accrediting, and deploying high-quality digital health technologies at scale.
In this exciting new chapter, ORCHA is also pleased to announce the appointment of Glenn Jackson as CEO. With more than 40 years of experience in scaling impactful businesses, Glenn’s leadership will be key in driving ORCHA’s global strategy forward.
Founding CEO Liz Ashall-Payne will continue to play an essential executive role, working closely with Glenn and the wider leadership team to strengthen and expand ORCHA’s mission.
“This investment comes at a pivotal moment for global healthcare,” said Liz Ashall-Payne. “As pressures on health services continue to grow, digital health offers a crucial opportunity to improve care delivery. With Glenn’s expertise and our team’s unwavering commitment to quality, we’re ready to help even more health systems harness the power of digital health.”
With robust investor support, experienced leadership, and a relentless focus on quality and safety, ORCHA is poised to deepen its impact—ensuring healthcare providers worldwide can confidently embrace digital health to improve care delivery and patient outcomes.
Pharmacy2U, the UK’s largest online pharmacy, has partnered with ORCHA, the leading digital health app assessment platform, to launch the Pharmacy2U App Hub. 5 million people search for health apps every single day, with the UK ranking at the 5th highest user of health apps. This exciting new collaboration is set to transform healthcare access across the nation by providing customers with safe, effective, and clinically assured digital health solutions.
The Pharmacy2U App Hub, powered by ORCHA, brings together a curated selection of trusted health apps that have undergone rigorous assessment to ensure they meet the highest standards of safety, security, and usability. The hub offers Pharmacy2U customers a reliable, easily accessible resource to improve their health and wellbeing, while also empowering them to make informed decisions about their healthcare.
‘This initiative is helping individuals across the UK avoid unsafe, unreliable health apps and instead access clinically assured, data-protected, and user-friendly technologies from Pharmacy2U.
Liz CEO ORCHA
“The Pharmacy2U app enables customers to take control of their healthcare and access all our services in one place at anytime from anywhere. We are always looking for ways to improve our offering for our patients and we recognise the benefit of using health related apps to support specific health goals within our care pathways. The Pharmacy2U Digital Health App Hub empowers people to feel safe in the knowledge these apps have met the high standards of the ORCHA assessment.”
Gary Dannatt chief of staff at P2U
This groundbreaking customer centric app hub is set to grow as new health apps are assessed by ORCHA to ensure they meet key criteria such as clinical effectiveness, data privacy and ease of use. It gives new health app developers and suppliers an unparalleled opportunity to show case their apps to a Pharmacy2U’s growing audience of currently 1.5 million people. The Pharmacy2U App Hub will allow people across the UK feel confident and put them in control of accessing trusted digital health solutions that compliment their health.
Pharmacy2U is dedicated to ensuring that patients have access to the best digital healthcare solutions. With the launch of the Pharmacy2U App Hub, customers can now explore a wide range of digital health apps that have been assessed for safety, effectiveness, and user privacy. This initiative is a crucial step in helping individuals across the UK avoid unsafe, unreliable health apps and instead access clinically assured, data-protected, and user-friendly technologies.
Every app included in the Pharmacy2U App Hub has passed the ORCHA Assessment, which guarantees that the apps are:
With this new partnership, Pharmacy2U patients can take control of their health, knowing that the digital tools they are using are both safe and effective.
Pharmacy2U is the UK’s largest online pharmacy, delivering a wide range of pharmacy services, putting people in control of their healthcare. Pharmacy2U is committed to providing high-quality, accessible healthcare solutions that improve patient experiences and health outcomes.
For more information about the Pharmacy2U App Hub, visit https://pharmacy2u.orchahealth.com/en-GB
This partnership marks a significant milestone in digital health and prevention, enhancing accessibility to safe, effective technologies and helping people make informed decisions about their healthcare. Together, ORCHA and Pharmacy2U are shaping the future of healthcare, one app at a time.
Problem and Vision
Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) has taken significant steps toward addressing the growing pressures on urgent and emergency care services. With 33% of the population living in the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods in England, the region faces substantial health challenges, including higher rates of avoidable hospital admissions. In 2023/2024, 15.6% of patients experienced waits longer than 12 hours in Accident & Emergency departments, largely due to insufficient bed capacity.
Recognising the need for broader interventions, the region has embraced digital health solutions and has partnered with ORCHA to enhance care, build confidence among healthcare professionals and patients, and empower individuals to manage their health more proactively.
Objective
The initiative aimed to support the recovery and efficiency of urgent and emergency care services across Cheshire and Merseyside through the deployment of digital health tools. Key areas of focus included:
Results
The initiative has led to measurable progress in adopting and integrating digital health solutions across the region:
Alleviated Pressure on Urgent and Emergency Services: Early indicators suggest a reduction in avoidable emergency visits, as patients gain the tools and knowledge needed to manage their health more effectively within their communities.
Conclusion
This initiative represents a forward-thinking approach to healthcare, demonstrating the transformative potential of digital health solutions in easing the burden on urgent and emergency care services. By integrating digital health tools into clinical practice, enhancing patient self-management, and ensuring accessibility, the region is paving the way for a more sustainable and efficient healthcare system.
The success of this approach highlights its scalability, offering a model for other regions seeking to improve healthcare outcomes through digital innovation. Ongoing engagement with healthcare professionals, continued refinement of digital resources, and sustained patient education will be essential to maximising long-term benefits.
Looking Ahead
The progress in Cheshire and Merseyside underscores the immense potential of digital health to transform healthcare delivery. If you’re part of the NHS and looking to implement a similar initiative in your region, expertise and resources are available to support tailored digital health strategies that improve care pathways, enhance patient engagement, and optimise service efficiency.
For more information on how digital health can support your healthcare priorities, get in touch with our team today hello@orchahealth.com