North London Forensic Collaborative (NLFC) is the largest specialist NHS mental health provider collaborative in England and represent a partnership between specialist forensic services within five NHS Trusts and one independent mental health provider. 

The NLFC membership includes:

  • Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH)
  • Central North-West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL)
  • East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT)
  • North-East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT)
  • West London NHS Trust (WLT)

The Trusts work together with The Priory Hospital Enfield.

We are responsible for the commissioning and delivery of low and medium inpatient and community adult secure services from NHS England for the population of North London. NLFC has delegated responsibility from NHS England and Improvement to lead on the planning, strategy, quality assurance and improvement of forensic mental health services for people within the same population footprint.  There are currently 700 low and medium secure inpatient beds across our provider collaborative, and provision for community forensic service users provided by three Specialist Community Forensic Teams (SCFT)’s, each aligned to one of the Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in North London.

The NLFC Partnership Board is overseen by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH) as the lead contract holder. The Partnership Board is responsible for advising and supporting the NLFC to achieve its strategic aims and ensure joint ownership and alignment of the objectives between the organisations that the members represent and the NLFC.  At the heart of our work, is a joint commitment to improving forensic mental health services for patients, families, carers and staff.

Our Purpose

To work together as a system, to deliver high quality care and improve the outcomes and experiences of the people who use specialised forensic mental health services, their families and carers.

Our Vision

To continuously improve patient outcomes and enhance patient experience, alongside that of their carers’ and our staff, by working as a fully integrated, holistic system and making best use of our combined resources.

Our Aim

To ensure that people who use forensic services experience high quality care, when inpatient care is clinically appropriate and that care is delivered as close to home as possible, connected to their local community and enables people to leave hospital when they are ready.  The NLFC will work to reduce the cost and/or volume of inpatient activity and redistribute this expenditure to enhance the range, choice and quality of forensic services.

Our Plan

All providers Trusts within the NLFC will work in partnership to re-invest savings from reduced inpatient and out of area placements into community forensic services.  This investment in community provision will improve the quality of care provided in community services, this will in turn reduce unnecessary in-patient forensic admission and enable people to leave hospital when they are ready.  This will improve patient experience, reduce waiting times, improve length of stay, lower occupancy levels and provide equal access to provision for all people who need access to forensic services across the provider collaborative.