One trust, one mental health service for Kent and Medway
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust now delivers all mental health services for adults, children and young people across Kent and Medway. We also provide eating disorder services for anyone aged 8 years or older and support for young people with a severe learning disability and behavioural, emotional or mental health needs
Same care. Same people. Different NHS trust.
From 1 April 2026, the following services have moved to our trust in Kent and Medway:
- All age eating disorder service
- Children and young people’s mental health service
- Learning disabilities, autism and ADHD
If you currently use these services, please do not worry. The way you are cared for will not change. The same people will still look after you and will give you the same care, in the same places, as they always have done. You can also still use the same contact details for them.
The only change you will see, over time, is our name on buildings, signs and letters.
The reason these services are now provided by one, local, NHS trust is so we can make it easier for you, and better join up mental health care.
In the future we want to develop a new, much more integrated, way of looking after people’s mental health, and will be developing the model for how we do this in close collaboration with the people, and their families, that use all these services.
The sections below will take you to information specific to Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services, All Age Eating Disorder (AAED) services, and Learning Disabilities, Autism & ADHD services, including what support is available and how to access help.
From Wednesday 1 April 2026, the eating disorder and children and young people’s mental health services previously run by North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) in Kent and Medway are now run by Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust instead.
You won’t experience any changes apart from seeing new logos on letters, signs and buildings. You will carry on seeing the same people as you do now, in the same places and use the same emails and telephone numbers to contact them.
This change will help services work better together.
Children, young people and families in Kent should, over time, find that services feel more joined up. It means teams are able to talk to each other more, share more information so people don’t have to keep telling their story and it will help better support children moving over to adult services.
This change is not about saving money. It’s about making sure services work better together, so children and adults across Kent and Medway don’t miss out on the mental health help they need.
In the short term, nothing changes about the care you get. You will see the same people and get the same help. This time is about making sure everyone feels settled and supported as services move to a new NHS trust.
Over time, services should work better together. This will help children, young people and families get the right help more easily. It should also make moving from children’s services to adult services easier when that time comes. We will listen carefully to children, young people and families to do this.
In the same way as you do now. You will see the same people, in the same places and continue to use the same telephone numbers and email addresses to contact them.
You’ll be able to use the online self-referral forms as you do now, the only difference is they will be on our website instead.
You will still be able to access urgent help by calling 111 and choosing the option for mental health. As ever, call 999 if there is threat to your or someone’s else life.
No. Appointments will continue to be made as they are now. And if you have an appointment on a date after the services move to their new NHS Trust, please attend it like you normally would.
No. You will still see the people you know and trust, in the same places, and use the same contact details to get hold of them.
You’ll also carry on receiving the same treatments and care as you do now.
In the short-term the move from children and young people’s services to adult services will stay as it is now.
Over time, services should work better together. This will help children, young people and families get the right help more easily. It should also make moving from children’s services to adult services easier when that time comes. We will listen carefully to children, young people and families to do this.
Services will carry on working in the same way as they do now when they move to our trust.
But North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) have been working very hard to reduce wait times and that work will carry on after the move. There is also lots of info about how you can get help while you wait.
No. This will not change your place on the waiting list.
It won’t change - you’ll carry on doing what you do now.
Your information won’t move for the first year. It will stay private and safe in the same systems it is in now. Staff will continue using their existing systems when they join Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust.
Some staff at the our trust will be able to see your data if they need it to do their job or keep you safe. Our trust is part of the NHS and subject to the same strict rules as every other NHS Trust when it comes to keeping personal information safe.
Your information is still private and safe. It is only used to help with you care and that will continue. Longer term, our trust will start to move your information onto our own systems. But we won’t do this until we're completely sure everything is safe and your data goes to the right place. We will tell when we are doing this.
There are lots of security measures in place to make sure only the people that need personal information can get to it.
Yes, the services will be overseen by our Executive Management Team, and Board. You can find out more information about these people by visiting our About us page.
No. Current leaders will remain in place. This will help ensure stability so services continue to operate smoothly and safely.
No. The people who work in these services now are also moving to our trust, so they will carry providing the same care and support as usual.
