A new era for mental health care in Kent and Medway

People across Kent and Medway will soon benefit from more joined-up and locally delivered mental health care, thanks to two major developments announced today by the county’s mental health trust.

From spring 2026, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT) will take on responsibility for all-age eating disorder and children and young people’s mental health services across the county. These are currently provided by North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), who are working closely with KMPT to ensure a well-planned transfer.

It means that, for the first time in Kent and Medway history, NHS mental health care will be delivered by a single, local provider for people of all ages – making it easier for them to access and navigate care throughout their mental health journey.

For patients and families currently receiving care, the same teams will continue to provide support in the same places, using the same contact details. Conversations are underway to offer reassurance and answer any questions.

KMPT will also open Kent and Medway’s first-ever NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) solely for women, based in Dartford, next Spring. The new 10-bed ward will provide specialist, short-term, high-intensity support for women experiencing the most serious mental health crises – allowing them to be treated closer to home, family and support networks, which is known to support treatment and recovery.

Sheila Stenson, Chief Executive of KMPT, said: “Mental illness doesn’t follow age boundaries or system structures, but until now, no single local NHS trust in Kent and Medway has supported people right across their mental health journey. Everyone involved agreed this needed to change, and we are working closely together, as one NHS, to make this happen from next Spring.

“I’m also incredibly proud to create Kent and Medway’s first PICU just for women. As soon as I became CEO I knew that this had to change. It will make a real difference to the women, and their families, who need its help.

“Both of these developments are about building a stronger, more inclusive mental health system – one that helps people not just live with serious mental illness, but live well.”

The transfer of services from NELFT will include both community and inpatient care, including the Kent and Medway Adolescent Hospital.

Chief Executive at NHS Kent and Medway Paul Bentley said: “NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board has awarded KMPT a single integrated contract for adult, children and adolescent mental health services, including the all-age eating disorder service. I would like to thank both KMPT and NELFT for their commitment to working to bring Kent and Medway’s children, young people’s and adult mental health services together.

“Children and young people will still see the same teams, in the same places, and should they need support into adulthood, they will have the opportunity to continue their care with KMPT, an organisation they are already familiar with.

“One of our obligations as an integrated care board is to support our local economy, as well as being the right thing for service users, this step will do that.”

Both announcements are part of KMPT’s long-term ambition to improve access, reduce fragmentation, and deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time. They reflect a shared ambition across the NHS to support local decision-making and ensure high-quality mental health care.