North East London NHS Foundation Trust

File:Jane Atkinson Health and Wellbeing Centre entrance.jpg]]

The trust was established as the North East London Mental Health NHS Trust on 5 June 2000, and became operational on 1 April 2001. It became an NHS foundation trust in 2008.{{cite web |title=The North East London Mental Health National Health Service Trust (Establishment) Order 2000 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/1415/introduction/made |website=legislation.gov.uk |accessdate=23 November 2019}}

In April 2014 Staff at Hawkwell Court in Colvin Gardens, Chingford planned to shut down the facility, which offers long-term stay for older patients with mental health problems and learning disabilities. It was saved from closure a decade ago after relatives of service users and Chingford MP Iain Duncan Smith intervened.{{cite news|title=Hawkwell Court in Chingford is to close as staff are not equipped to deal with patients' growing needs despite good standards in latest inspection|url=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/11163803.Relatives_slam_sudden_closure_of_care_home_as__atrocious_/|accessdate=6 May 2014|newspaper=Chingford Guardian|date=22 April 2014}}

In April 2014 as part of the redevelopment of Goodmayes Hospital it closed and proposed to demolish the Goodmayes Hospital Staff Social Club, provoking a protest from Mr Fin Robinson. He was supposed to hand the keys back but said he will remain inside, with the doors chained shut, "until they do the right thing".{{cite news|title=Manager of Goodmayes Hospital social club locks himself inside to protest against its closure|url=http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/news/manager_of_goodmayes_hospital_social_club_locks_himself_inside_to_protest_against_its_closure_1_3581795|accessdate=6 May 2014|newspaper=Ilford Recorder|date=1 May 2014}}

File:30 Coleridge Road, 27 February 2020.jpg]]

The trust provides community health and mental health services, including forensic services, psychiatric intensive care units and services for people with learning difficulties in the North East London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, as well as some services for people in Essex and Kent.{{cite web |title=Inspection report - North East London NHS Foundation Trust |url=https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/AAAJ4847.pdf |website=Care Quality Commission |accessdate=7 March 2020}}

The Trust receives hospital radio services operated by Bedrock Radio{{Cite web |last=Trust |first=NELFT NHS Foundation |title=Bedrock Hospital Radio |url=https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/bedrock-radio |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=NELFT NHS Foundation Trust |language=en}}

In 1977 The Goodmayes Hospitals Radio Association was formed as a registered charity{{Cite web |title=GOODMAYES HOSPITAL RADIO ASSOCIATION - Charity 287259 |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/287259/charity-overview |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk |language=en-GB}} to provide entertainment and information to the patients and staff, with studios located within the original Goodmayes Hospital building.

In 1993 the station began broadcasting into neighbouring King George Hospital, In 2004 the station's on-air name became 'The Jumbo Sound' and began streaming online in 2006 to serve all NELFT locations.{{Cite web |last=Trust |first=NELFT NHS Foundation |title=Bedrock Hospital Radio |url=https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/bedrock-radio |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=NELFT NHS Foundation Trust |language=en}}

In April 2016, flood damage caused by a failed radiator forced The Jumbo Sound off-air creating an estimated £30,000 of damage.{{Cite web |title=Hospital radio station faces £30k bill after radiator explodes |url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/14030255.hospital-radio-station-faces-30k-bill-after-radiator-explodes/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series |language=en}} Volunteers of the Goodmayes Hospital Radio Association (Jumbo Sound) voted to merge with Bedrock Radio.{{Cite web |title=Live radio shows will return to Goodmayes Hospital months after flooding nightmare |url=https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/21200616.live-radio-shows-will-return-goodmayes-hospital-months-flooding-nightmare/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Ilford Recorder |language=en}}

The trust NELFT took over children and young people's specialist and targeted mental health services in Kent in 2017. In May 2018 there were 3,869 young people in Kent waiting for treatment. 144 had been waiting more than a year, with 19 more in Medway. 1,481 had been waiting for more than 18 weeks for treatment to start.{{cite news |title=Harm assessments after 160 children wait more than a year for mental health treatment |url=https://www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-performance/harm-assessments-after-160-children-wait-more-than-a-year-for-mental-health-treatment/7022644.article |accessdate=31 August 2018 |publisher=Health Service Journal |date=13 June 2018}} In 2019 the Trust was downgraded by the CQC from Good to Requires Improvement.{{cite news |title=CQC rates North East London NHS Foundation Trust as Requires Improvement|url=https://www.cqc.org.uk/news/releases/cqc-rates-north-east-london-nhs-foundation-trust-requires-improvement |accessdate=26 September 2021 |publisher=CQC |date=6 September 2019}}

There have been numerous deaths as a result of NELFT's failings. In the first half of 2021 alone, there was a coroner who found failings in the care of Paul Tufton leading to his death.{{cite news |title=NHS trust 'neglected' mental health patient|url=

https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/nhs-trust-neglected-mental-health-patient/ |accessdate=26 September 2021 |publisher=Waltham Forest Echo |date=1 February 2021}} In May an inquest found neglect in the care of Neil Challinor-Mooney, again leading to a death.{{cite news |title=Inquest finds neglect contributed to death of vulnerable Romford man|url=https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/neglect-contributed-to-death-at-goodmayes-hospital-7969886 |accessdate=26 September 2021 |publisher=Ilford Recorder |date=13 May 2021}} In June, Ellis Murphy-Richards' suicide was deemed to have been because of failings in care.{{cite news |title=Ellis Murphy-Richards: NHS care questioned over suicide|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-57358063|accessdate=26 September 2021 |publisher=BBC |date=4 June 2021}} In July, Anita Mandalia took an overdose as a result of NELFT failing to refer her for mental health treatment.{{cite news |title=Ilford mother 'could have been saved' and NHS 'failed' her, family tells inquest|url=https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/health/inquest-ilford-mother-anita-mandalia-8162618 |accessdate=26 September 2021 |publisher=Ilford Recorder |date=21 July 2021}} There have been hundreds of NELFT's mental health patients who have gone missing; in the two years prior to 2020, 100+ such patients went missing.{{cite news |title=More than 100 patients have gone missing from mental health hospitals in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge|url=https://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/news/health/missing-patients-north-east-london-nhs-foundation-trust-3224308 |accessdate=26 September 2021 |publisher=Ilford Recorder |date=29 July 2019}}

NELFT, together with Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and other mental health providers in Essex were subject an independent inquiry set up by Parliament {{cite news |title=Essex Mental Health Independent Inquiry: Terms of Reference|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-09-06/debates/21090616000015/EssexMentalHealthIndependentInquiryTermsOfReference |accessdate=6 February 2022 |publisher=Hansard |date=6 September 2021}} into mental health services in Essex following numerous failings of these services. The inquiry was upgraded to a statutory inquiry in 2023 given the lack of cooperation the inquiry got from the trusts and is now the Lampard Inquiry.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• [https://www.nhs.uk/services/mental-health-trust/north-east-london-nhs-foundation-trust/RAT North East London NHS Foundation Trust] on the NHS website
• [https://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RAT Inspection reports] from the Care Quality Commission

{{Authority control}}

Category:NHS foundation trusts

Category:Health in London

Category:Health in Kent