New NHS-led Provider Collaboratives

Posted: 29/03/21

The introduction of Provider Collaboratives is a new approach to commissioning specialised mental health, learning disability and autism services. They will drive improvements in patient outcomes and experience along with tackling inequalities for the local population. They will also seek to increase the voice of people with lived experience in improving the quality of care provided.

To begin with collaboratives will deliver:

  • Children and young people mental health inpatient services
  • Adult low and medium secure services
  • Adult eating disorder services

Provider Collaboratives focus on the health of their local population with the ambition that people with specialised mental health, learning disability and autism needs experience high quality, specialist care, as close to home as possible, which is connected with local teams and support networks. To do this, they will take responsibility for the budget and pathway for their own region.

The key principles underpinning Provider Collaboratives are:

  • Collaboration between providers across local systems
  • Experts by Experience and clinicians leading improvements in care pathways
  • Managing resources across the collaborative to invest in community alternatives and reduce inappropriate admissions/care away from home
  • Working with local stakeholders
  • Improvements in quality, patient experience and outcomes driving change
  • Advancing equality for the local population

In our region, a partnership of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, called North East and North Cumbria Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism Partnership, will be commissioning the three Provider Collaborative services from 1 April 2021.

This is a really exciting opportunity.

You can find out more about Provider Collaboratives here. You can also watch this short animation which provides an overview: