Our story
East London NHS Foundation Trust (formerly known as East London and The City University Mental Health NHS Trust) was formed in April 2000.
The new ELFT brought together mental health services from three community trusts in Tower Hamlets, Newham, The City and Hackney; pooling resources and much of London’s major mental health expertise to become one of the UK’s largest specialist NHS providers.
We have been broadening our remit for some time and our core services now include mental health, community health and primary care.
Our core area includes the City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton (since April 2015). We also deliver numerous services to many other people further afield.
They include specialist services in north east London, and an award-winning specialist mother and baby psychiatric unit in Homerton that receives referrals from all across the south east.
Foundation trust status
In April 2007 we achieved NHS foundation trust status and are proud to now have over 9000 members. Our members help us keep true to our values and to make sure that our patients’ needs are always at the heart of all that we do.
Research and university status
The Trust was awarded university status in recognition of our extensive research and education work. We now have an international research profile thanks to our collaboration with Queen Mary’s, University of London, as The Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry.
Based alongside the Newham Centre for Mental Health, the Unit was named a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in 2012, recognising our commitment to mental health services development and health gain for patients through active research.
This makes us one of a small network of centres contributing to the European Mental Health Action Plan for international improvements in the field.
We also have a partnership with Cambridge University with a jointly appointed assistant professor for our primary care research hub, and a similar partnership with City, University of London.