Synopsis

Digital technology is rapidly reshaping mental health environments from electronic locking and ligature-detection systems to data-driven monitoring and patient-facing tools. These advances present enormous potential to improve patient experience, dignity and safety. But if poorly implemented, they can also introduce new risks: alarm fatigue, privacy breaches, power imbalances, and a shift away from therapeutic human interaction. In this session, Philip Ross will share Safehinge Primera’s unique             perspective from 15 years of innovation across high-acuity and acute mental health settings. Drawing on lessons from two generations of electronic locking, real-world feedback from lived-experience groups, and case studies from NHS services and high secure environments, the presentation explores where technology genuinely helps and where it unintentionally harms.