Guest Blog: Daylight in South Yorkshire – A New Dawn for Anxiety Treatment at Scale

Written by: Ian Wood, Medical Director, Big Health

In South Yorkshire, a pioneering collaboration is reshaping how anxiety could be treated in England – offering patients immediate access to evidence-based treatment in Primary Care, the very first step in their journey.

In September 2024, an NHS-industry coalition – comprising South Yorkshire ICB, Primary Care Sheffield, Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, and UK SME Big Health – launched Daylight, a fully automated digital treatment for Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The aim: deliver NICE-recommended treatment earlier in the pathway, at Step 1 of the NHS stepped care model, and evaluate its impact on NHS costs.

This need for earlier access is clear. Too often, patients with anxiety in primary care face a difficult choice: wait weeks or months for therapy or rely on medication that may cause unwanted side effects. Daylight offered an alternative: immediate access to proven psychological therapy via smartphone, with no prescriptions, referrals, or waiting lists.

The challenge for systems and society

GAD affects up to 8% of primary care¹ patients and causes disability comparable to long-term physical conditions like diabetes and arthritis. Nearly 40% of people with GAD report moderate to severe disruption to their working lives, losing an average of 6.3 workdays per month. Moreover, it frequently co-occurs with depression, substance misuse, and chronic physical illness. Yet fewer than a third of people with GAD receive adequate treatment – a gap that impacts all aspects of their life, but also wider society. Anxiety-related conditions cost an estimated £8.9 billion annually² in healthcare utilisation and lost productivity.

Meeting patients when they need help most

This project capitalised on the speed at which digital treatments can be implemented to improve care. In just six months, over 1,000 patients used Daylight – beating the original 12-month target 6 months ahead of schedule.

“It helped me control my anxiety and think about what I could and could not control. Although I still worry as that is the sort of person I am, my anxiety is under control.”
Daylight User, 50s, South Yorkshire, June 2025

Stepped care guidance recommends advice at Step 1, but currently not active treatment. In this evaluation, over 70% of patients were referred via their GP, showing Daylight can be effectively embedded at Step 1 of care.

“My GP recommended it to me along with other things. I found it easy and very convenient to use.”
Daylight User, 50s, South Yorkshire, June 2025

The evidence shows Daylight is reaching those in meaningful distress, who need it most. The average baseline GAD-7 score was 15/21, indicating moderate-to-severe anxiety – highlighting its ability to support patients earlier than traditional routes.

“Before, I wouldn’t really leave the house on my own. Now I go on walks, run errands, even travel to another city. Daylight helped me just experience things on my own.”
Daylight User, 20s, South Yorkshire, June 2025

Daylight’s clinical impact is clear:

• 81% of patients reported reduced tension after a single Daylight technique
• 67% used Daylight’s techniques in everyday life, away from the app – key evidence of sustained behavioural change

“This app has been really easy to use and has helped me a lot. It has taught me many ways to manage my anxiety and I now use these methods in my everyday life.”
Daylight User, 20s, South Yorkshire, June 2025

By making treatment immediate, self-guided, and digital, Daylight: 1. removed key barriers to care, including stigma, side effects, and long waits; 2. enabled people to access clinically proven support instantly when they needed it most; and 3. demonstrated significant clinical benefit to patients.

Building for scale, not just success

This wasn’t just a successful pilot – it created a scalable blueprint. All partners contributed to a coordinated rollout across all four regions of South Yorkshire, prioritising key stakeholder engagement and extensive staff training across primary care. Additional activities included: using Electronic Health Records tools to signpost to best practice care; centrally-managed SMS campaigns; and practice-led social media activity.

Crucially, the approach remained simple for primary care – placing minimal additional burden on already stretched services.

“Daylight’s early success grew from South Yorkshire’s culture of collaboration and innovation… bringing together teams across Primary Care, the third sector, and mental health to maximise adoption of Daylight and benefit patients’ mental health”
Neil Cormack, Strategic Engagement and Communications, Primary Care Sheffield

A model for the future NHS

The Life Sciences Sector Plan³ calls for “driving health innovation and NHS reform – ensuring patients get timely and rapid access to the most clinically and cost-effective new technologies.” This project shows that change is already happening.

“By scaling digital, practical solutions, Daylight helps address the real challenges faced by patients and frontline staff, making services more accessible, efficient, and equitable. It’s precisely this kind of ambition and impact that ensures South Yorkshire becomes a leading example of how innovation can genuinely change lives and strengthen the entire health and care system.”
Gemma Ridley, South Yorkshire Innovation Hub Director, Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber

In a time of mounting pressure on the NHS, Daylight offers a new model for earlier intervention in mental health: scalable, evidence-based and patient-centred care. This evaluation shows how digital innovation, embedded in frontline practice, can offer patients easier and faster access to proven treatment.

The next challenge for us all is to effectively scale the success of South Yorkshire – taking the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS.

For more information, contact: ian.wood@bighealth.com

References:

1. National Institute of Health & Care Excellence (2025). Clinical Knowledge Summary. Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Retrieved from: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/generalized-anxiety-disorder/
2. Department of Health. No health without mental health: A cross-Government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages. Supporting document – The economic case for improving efficiency and quality in mental health. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7cab32e5274a2f304ef5a3/dh_123993.pdf
3. UK Government (2025).  The UK’s Modern Industry Strategy; Life Sciences Sector Plan.  Retrieved from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687653fb55c4bd0544dcaeb1/Life_Sciences_Sector_Plan.pdf