Digital Pioneer: Richard Graham, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Richard is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and Clinical Director of Big White Wall at the Tavistock. He is one of DigitalHealth.London’s Digital Pioneers for his leadership. Richard was responsible for developing many of the clinical and risk management processes for this peer-to-peer support and remote therapy delivery services, as well as a robust App evaluation system, created with colleagues from Bupa and SLaM.

He also led the Tavistock’s ‘Digital Lives’ programme, and is currently co-chairing the Digital Resilience Working Group for the UK Council for Child Internet Safety Executive Board.

Most recently, Richard took on the clinical lead role for the London Digital Mental Well-being Service, collaborating with industry, Twitter, Google, Ofcom, Government departments and online communities like Mumsnet, to support Londoners in their journey to find evidence-based online support.

“Current commissioning models do not easily support new ways of working beyond a peripheral, ad hoc involvement of digital services.” he explains, “The value of peer-to- peer support is initially, largely unrecognised. Concerted effort to raise awareness has led to change, but blending conventional and digital services remains a challenge.

“This is a thrilling opportunity to develop an online multi-channel service that reaches people where they are.”