Our North London Forensic Collaborative showcased as a national example of best practice | News

NHS Providers, the membership organisation for the NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services has chosen to highlight the work of our North London Forensic Collaborative as a national example of very best practice.

North London Forensic Collaborative (NLFC) is the largest specialist mental health collaborative in England covering a population of six million people across 19 local authorities.

Part of The North London Mental Health Partnership, it aims to ensure that people who access services experience high quality care, as close to home as possible, which is connected to their local community. NLFC is a partnership between the specialist forensic services of five NHS Trusts and one independent provider, working closely together to problem solve as a system, by sharing best practice and learning.

Great results

With a specific focus on reducing the number of inpatient beds and creating specialist community services, the collaborative has achieved great results. Since its formation in 2020, NLFC’s community transformation work has significantly reduced reliance on inpatient beds, with a 12% reduction over the past three years. This has released funding which they have been able to reinvest into community services every year.

NLFC has also delivered great progress on reducing out of area placements, with a 60% reduction in the number of adult secure placements outside of London, and a 63% reduction in out of London placements for patients with a learning disability and autism.

Two key enablers, among others, are highlighted in the case study:

• A lived experience and co-production model that ensures services users and carers are at the centre of service developments and improvements.
• The leadership and commissioning role that Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust holds and the added value it brings to NLFC as lead provider.

Darren Summers, our Deputy Chief Executive/Executive Director of Partnerships, said:

"I am proud of the work achieved by the NLFC in the past three years and I want to extend my sincere appreciation to all members of the collaborative team. Together, you have made significant strides in improving community mental health services and positively impacting the lives of those we serve. The NLFC has achieved real success in developing alternatives to inpatient admissions, and reducing out of area placements – this is a case study worth sharing and studying across the country to encourage best practice and collaborative approaches."