Patients will stay at St Andrew’s Northampton while their needs are assessed. Suitable placements will then be arranged, and moves will happen in phases based on clinical need. Timelines will be shared once confirmed.

The transition of patients from Northampton is expected to take several months, but exact timelines have not yet been confirmed. We will update you as soon as NHS England provides the information.

Patients will only move to placements that can meet their clinical needs in a safe environment.

St Andrew’s remains responsible for patient care until each person is safely discharged or transferred to another provider.

Patients will stay at Northampton until NHS England identifies a safe and appropriate placement. Transfers will be coordinated and overseen by NHS commissioners, support by patient’s MDT (Multidisciplinary Teams).

The NHS aims to keep people as close to home as possible. However, some specialist services may require a move further away to ensure the right level of care.

Care teams will plan moves with each patient, ensuring they are informed, involved and supported throughout the process.

Patients and carers will be involved in discussions about their care and future placement wherever possible.

Care teams, advocacy organisations and NHS England’s Mental Health Quality team will provide support, guidance and oversight during the transition.

There are no plans to move patients from those sites.

Their future placement will depend on legal requirements and clinical assessments. 

NHS England has asked provider collaboratives and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to identify appropriate placements and solutions for these patients.

This is possible, but the final decision rests with NHS commissioners. 

Some patients, particularly those with highly complex or specialist needs, may require more time to find appropriate placements. In these cases, patients will remain at St Andrew’s Northampton until a safe and suitable placement is identified. NHS England and commissioners are working with providers across the system to increase capacity where possible.

We are working with NHSE to explore options for some patients. This could see some of the most complex secure patient, including adult d/Deaf inpatients, continue to be cared for at the Northampton site, delivered by a different mental health provider. 

This will be managed through clinical discussion between St Andrew’s teams, NHS commissioners, patients, carers and other relevant care providers. While we will advocate for our patients, the final decision on placements rests with the NHS. 

As part of our Safe Today plan we have made recent and significant changes on every ward in the hospital. We will continue to maintain, monitor and drive improvements, alongside our onsite NHS England team, to ensure every patient receives safe, high-quality care.

We are also implementing improvements to governance, oversight, and quality assurance processes to ensure consistent, safe care across all wards.

We have taken steps to strengthen governance, including simplifying leadership structures, improving reporting and oversight, introducing more frequent monitoring, and enhancing quality governance frameworks. These changes are designed to ensure better visibility, accountability, and consistency of care. 

We recognise this is an uncertain time for patients and carers. We are holding ward by ward conversations with patients and carers to share the information we have, alongside NHS England colleagues. Feedback is shared with NHS England, and we will continue to listen and communicate openly as clarity increases.

Feedback from NHS teams on our wards is already being shared with NHS England. 

We check quality in several ways, including day to day oversight and regular performance reports. The on-site NHS England also visits each ward every few days to review care and record any issues, and this information is used to focus improvements and make sure standards are being met.