Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust has again been rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission. It was rated Good at a previous inspection.
The trust was rated Outstanding for being effective and Good for being safe, caring, responsive and well-led, following the inspection in August and September 2018.
The trust provides specialist mental health services for adults and children across several London boroughs, most are based in Camden. The trust also provides the gender identity development service for children and young people under the age of 18 which is a national service. In April 2017, the trust took over the Charing Cross gender identity clinic as an interim provider until March 2019. This is the largest national service with a patient group of nearly 6,000 patients.
There were several examples of outstanding care:
- In the gender identity services staff were highly skilled in this specialist field. Several staff had published books and articles related to their work. Staff shared their expertise and attended and presented at national and international conferences.
- In the specialist community mental health services for children and young people the trust had set up a Camden adolescent intensive support service to work with 11 to18 year olds and their families who experienced a significant deterioration in their mental health. Since the service had been set up young people had spent 48% less time in inpatient services.
Overall the trust had strong values and an ethos of going the extra mile to deliver high quality services to patients. The trust had a high calibre board, with a wide range of skills and experience.
The trust’s strong academic and research links meant patients often benefited from innovative treatment. The trust had a skilled and committed workforce and staff well-being was a priority.
Staff involved patients and those close to them in decisions about their care and treatment. Staff in the trust’s gender identity clinic for adults (GIC) worked with people using its service to develop personalised approaches based around the specific needs and preferences of each person.
Staff in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the individual needs and circumstances of the young people they supported. They worked with young people and families to offer services and support based around their needs.
The trust had faced significant increases in demand and had doubled the number of patients it supported over the previous four years. It was the largest provider of gender identity services and were working to improve access to these services further.
The trust had many excellent examples of working with people who use services. A patient and public involvement (PPI) strategy was supported by PPI co-ordinators who facilitated a range of activities within the trust and in collaboration with community colleagues and other stakeholders.
The trust was outward looking and active participants in the North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Partnership. Staff worked closely with other organisations supporting people, so they received co-ordinated care.
However, there were areas where the trust must make improvements. These included:
- The trust must ensure it continues to work to reduce patient appointment waiting times especially for the gender identity services.
- The trust must ensure that people and other healthcare professionals receive letters following clinical appointments in a timely manner.
- The trust must ensure that people that use the service know how to make a complaint and that all complaints and that all complaints are responded to within the agreed timescale.
Dr Paul Lelliott, Deputy Chief Inspector (Mental Health) said: “This is a well-led trust that provides Good care overall for its patients, with some examples of Outstanding care.
“What is particularly impressive about Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is that despite a doubling of the number of people it cares for over the past four years standards have remained high. However, whilst the trust is working collaboratively with commissioners, the length of time people are waiting to receive gender identity services is still far too long.”
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This is a well-led trust that provides Good care overall for its patients, with some examples of Outstanding care.
Dr Paul Lelliott, Deputy Chief Inspector (Mental Health)