Video enabled therapies - 1:1 therapy and group therapies

Updated June 29, 2026

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Key Details

Organisation Name

NHS Scotland

Location

Scottish Government

Scotland

Website

eMHIC Member Status

Strategic Partner

At a Glance

Description

Implement video enabled therapies across mental health and psychology services to support video enabled one-to-one therapy , group therapy and cross region group delivery.

Implementation Status

Routine service delivery

Video enabled therapies is now routine service delivery across NHS Scotland, within psychology and mental health services. Supporting both 1:1 therapy and group therapy.

Target Population

Patients

Clinical staff

Impact & Outcomes

2021-2026

• Reduced travel time of clinical staff and increased reach of services
• Reduced waiting times and increased access to treatments
• improving efficiency of service delivery
• Integrated and available across the 14 territorial boards in Scotland
• Increase quality of services access across geographical areas
• Improved mental health and wellbeing of patients across Scotland through increased access to appropriate group based treatments.
• Better use of staff resource of group delivery through development of collaborative approaches between Health Board that encourages joint management and facilitation of groups between participating areas.

14,000

1:1 video sessions of therapy per month

150

video group sessions per month

1,250,000

video consultations taking place in last 5 years.

14,000

1:1 video sessions of therapy per month

150

video group sessions per month

1,250,000

video consultations taking place in last 5 years.

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Initiative Overview

The Current Gap

• Inequalities of treatment
• reducing the staff burden of delivery
• Reduction in waiting lists

Our Solution

Mental Health continues to be the highest user of the Near Me service (video consultation) in delivering both 1:1 therapy and group therapy. Mental Health services continue to use video enabled therapy.

Key Features

1

Establishing a national infrastructure

A national infrastructure was developed to help groups expand, share learning, and scale their work more consistently.

2

Choice of appointment method

Video-enabled therapy gives people across Scotland the option to attend appointments by video consultation, where this is appropriate for their care.

3

Service adoption

Adopting once-for-Scotland approach supporting community and secondary care including psychiatry and clinical psychology through risk-based video consultation guidance and evaluation.

4

Service transformation

Development of scaled population-based psycho-education groups removes need for territorial delivery while providing Boards referral to preventive, self-managed services patients.

Collaboration in Action

Main Collaborators

NHS Scotland Boards
Scottish Government
3rd sector organisations
Near Me National Board

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Key Learnings

Main Challenges

The primary challenges encountered was transforming the culture and acceptance of video technology in delivering 1:1 therapy and group therapy.

Important Lessons

Advice:
• Implement a nationally approved, information governance-compliant technology
• Developing and implementing a service model, that will build a national sustainable infrastructure
• User guides, patient leaflets in place
• Collaboration with NHS Boards

Looking Ahead

Future Plans

Establish an operational and delivery group, consisting of multiple Boards working together to develop group therapy. Using the existing model to empower Boards to actively plan and deliver groups while being supported by a national structure with the aim of enhancing clinical capacity through a flexible rota of facilitators, schedule of group delivery and ensuring maximum value to all delivery partners . This collaborative approach ensures equitable access to services across Health Boards and the ability to address waiting lists.

What's the future Vision

Establish an operational and delivery group, consisting of multiple Boards working together to develop group therapy.

Key Contact

Chris Wright

National Advisor for Digital Mental Health/Head of Programme Digital Mental Heal