Serving Shropshire
Child mental health support across Shropshire
Private specialist assessment and therapy for children and young people aged 7 to 25, anywhere in Shropshire. Delivered by videoconferencing — no travel needed. Assessment within three weeks.
- 3 weeksTo first assessment
- Ages 7–25Children and young adults
- NHS-trainedSenior CAMHS clinicians
- MDT reviewEvery case, every week
Why rural Shropshire families are particularly underserved
Shropshire is the second largest county in England by area, and one of the most sparsely populated. For families outside Shrewsbury and Telford, specialist children’s mental health services are not just slow to access. They require significant travel. A family in Ludlow, Church Stretton, Clun, or Bishop’s Castle may be an hour from the nearest CAMHS clinic, with limited or no public transport. That is before the waiting list begins.
NHS CAMHS across Shropshire is run by Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Waiting times for a first assessment consistently run to twelve months or longer. Families in rural parts of the county who are not in an area of serious clinical risk often receive nothing while their child’s situation develops.
Blip was set up to change that. We are a private specialist mental health service for children and young people aged 7 to 25, and we deliver everything by videoconferencing. A family in Market Drayton, Wem, Whitchurch, Cleobury Mortimer, or Craven Arms can access the same senior clinician as a family in Shrewsbury town centre, with no travel and no waiting room.
We also plan to open a base in Oswestry in early 2027 for families who prefer in-person appointments. Videoconferencing sessions are available immediately.
Towns and areas we serve
Shrewsbury, Telford, Oswestry, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Whitchurch, Bridgnorth, Wem, Church Stretton, Newport, Bishop’s Castle, and surrounding villages and rural areas throughout Shropshire.
How quickly can we see your child?
- Triage. Within 5 working days of referral
- Initial assessment. Within 3 weeks
- Care plan agreed. Within 1 week of assessment
- Intervention begins. Within 2 weeks of care plan
Conditions we assess and treat
How sessions are delivered
Blip delivers all clinical sessions by videoconferencing. You and your child connect with your named clinician from home — no travel, no waiting rooms, no disruption to the school day. Sessions run on a secure, encrypted platform to NHS-standard data residency requirements.
Every case has one named clinician from triage to discharge, backed by a multidisciplinary team: consultant psychiatrist, senior CAMHS practitioners, occupational therapist, and family therapist. The team reviews every case weekly. No clinician makes decisions about a case alone.
We accept self-referrals from families, referrals from GPs, and referrals from schools and professionals. Professional referral form.
Who we see
Children and young people aged 7 to 25. We accept self-referrals from parents and young people, and professional referrals from GPs, schools, social workers, and other practitioners. No minimum GP referral requirement. Presentations accepted: anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, OCD, school avoidance, trauma, self-harm, and complex presentations combining more than one of these.
This is not a crisis service
Blip is a planned-care service for low to moderate presentations. If your child is in immediate distress, please contact one of the following:
- NHS 111 option 2Mental health crisis line, 24 hours
- Samaritans116 123, free, any time
- Papyrus HOPELINE2470800 068 4141
- ShoutText SHOUT to 85258
- Emergency999 or A&E
Blip Healthcare Ltd is in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) for the regulated activity of Treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The service is led by Vivien Beni, RMN, Registered Mental Health Nurse and Registered Manager. All clinicians hold current registration with their professional body.
Get in touch
Fill in the enquiry form and we will respond within one working day.