Ultrasis Plc Regulatory News (ULT)

9 February 2010

Ultrasis plc ("Ultrasis") - New Territory

Ultrasis launches depression programme

"Beating the Blues" in New Zealand

Ultrasis, the provider of interactive health care and associated services, has agreed a strategic partnership with Instep Ltd, a New Zealand based behavioural health care company.

Instep will offer clients within its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) the online Beating the Blues programme to treat people with mild and moderate depression.

Instep provides EAP services to 285,000 employees in 175 companies in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Clients are drawn from both the private and public sectors.

Matthew Beattie, Chief Executive of Instep Ltd, said: "The team at Instep reviewed the evidence base and potential for using Beating the Blues and believe that the programme will offer a new way to deliver treatment to our clients.

"More and more people have busier lives and are often working in more than one place, the option to use a proven therapy programme at times and places that suit their needs is very attractive.

"We are confident that Kiwis will pick this up quickly - so many here have busy work and home lifestyles and our work has to be able to meet their needs - clinically and practically. In addition, the cost for this is no more and in most cases substantially less than traditional face-to-face therapy. It is a formidable alternative."

Ultrasis Executive Director - Sales, John Smith said: "We are delighted that the Instep team have agreed this contract to provide Beating the Blues within their EAP services and look forward to working with them.

"Instep is one of the leading EAP providers in New Zealand and has a well developed call centre infrastructure and therapy network that will help support the delivery of the Beating the Blues programme to employees, especially when they are working away from home".

Ends

About Instep

Instep provides EAP services to 285,000 employees in 175 companies in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Instep provides a wide range of services and support including wellness and stress reduction programmes, trauma support, bullying and harassment programmes and alcohol and drug programmes.

Clients are drawn from both the private and public sectors such as airlines and transport, law enforcement, engineering and construction, high performing sport, energy, agriculture and farming, telecommunications and professional services.

They are a 24/7 company who use traditional intervention, treatment and training methods but they also embrace technology to deliver timely information and intervention opportunities to the employees of their clients.

About BTB

Ultrasis plc is a healthcare company with core expertise in health, psychology, software development and programme management, delivering computerised healthcare products to the NHS, the corporate sector and other healthcare providers in the UK and internationally. 

Ultrasis was the first company to offer computerised products based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and interactive multimedia and is the world leader in this field. The products help people tackle stress, anxiety and depression, and a full spectrum of related chronic conditions. 

Beating the Blues is an eight-week, web-based treatment programme for mild and moderate depression based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Following a rigorous examination by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), "Beating the Blues" was approved by NICE in February 2006 for use in the National Health Service. 

Contacts

Nigel Brabbins CEO E-Mail: ultrasis@ultrasis.com Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7566 3900 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7253 5313

Geoff Nash FinnCap Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7600 1658

John Webb Marshall Securities Joint Broker Telephone: +44 (0) 207 490 3788

Karen White/Sarah Rice

JBP Public Relations

E-Mail: Karen.white@jbp.co.uk; sarah.rice@jbp.co.uk

Telephone +44 (0) 117 907 3400