Over the past four years, We Can Talk has supported acute hospitals across England through a national programme with NHS England—helping staff respond with confidence and compassion to people attending due to their mental health.
Now, thanks to detailed analysis from Dr Ilyas Sagar, Data Analyst at We Can Talk and Founder of I.Insights, we can show that the benefits are not only clinical, but economic.
A strong return on investment
Dr Sagar’s evaluation of We Can Talk’s national delivery shows that:
📈 Every £1 invested generated nearly £5 in cost savings between 2021 and 2024
These savings were driven by measurable reductions in:
• Security callouts (↓43%)
• Patients absconding (↓40%)
• Complaints (↓27%)
• Staff sick days (↓66%)
Each of these outcomes was statistically significant at the 0.05 level.
In addition, staff reported a 30% reduction in thoughts about leaving their role. While this figure was not statistically significant on its own, when viewed alongside the reduction in sick days—and the well-established link between absence and staff turnover—it strengthens the case for improved workplace stability.
Smarter, more sustainable care
Better mental health conversations reduce incidents, improve staff wellbeing and create safer environments for everyone. With over one million people attending hospital due to their mental health each year, this kind of shift matters—not just for individuals, but across the entire system.
What’s next: local partnerships, deeper insight
As We Can Talk moves from national delivery to local partnerships, we’re giving trusts more control and visibility over their impact.
All organisational subscriptions now include:
• An annual impact report, including ROI
• Learner compliance exports for internal reporting
• Support to track outcomes through your existing systems
This means trusts can verify results locally, understand what’s changing, and work collectively to shape future improvements.
Want to talk?
If you’d like to explore how We Can Talk could support your organisation, we’d love to hear from you.
Use the form below and select: “I want to connect with your team”