NHS Foundation Trust — Outstanding

Caring for East London and Beyond

We provide mental health, community health, primary care, wellbeing and inpatient services to young people, working age adults and older adults across the City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton.

CQC Overall Rating: OUTSTANDING  |  Last inspected: 22 June 2023
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Need Help Now?

If you feel your mental health is deteriorating or you need urgent support outside office hours.

📞 NHS 111 — Option 2
100k+
Service Users Supported Annually
7+
Boroughs and Regions Served
7,000+
Dedicated Staff Members
CQC
Outstanding Rating — 2023

News & Updates

All News →
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02 March 2026

Cards of Kindness Project: Co-production in Newham Centre for Mental Health

The Cards of Kindness Project 2025 is a co-production initiative engaging service users and carers at Newham Centre for Mental Health.

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05 February 2026

MP Rushanara Ali visits Barnsley Street Mental Health Team

Rushanara Ali MP visited Barnsley Street to see first-hand the vital work being done by our dedicated mental health team.

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04 February 2026

Tower Hamlets Colleague Awarded Prestigious Alumni Award from University

Ifeyinwa Ezeifedi from Tower Hamlets Education team receives a prestigious alumni award recognising her exceptional contributions.

Service Users & Carers

Service user and carer information including the services we provide, boroughs where we provide care and where services can be found.

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Our Services

Find details of all the services we provide, including contact details and conditions treated.

View Services →
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Information for Visitors

The latest guidance and updates for visitors to our services and inpatient wards.

Visitor Info →
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Carers Information

Information and resources for carers supporting a loved one in our services.

Carer Resources →
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Child Health

Information and resources to help keep children safe and healthy in our communities.

Child Health →
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Mental Health Campaigns

Information to help look after your mental health and support the mental health of others.

Mental Health →
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Domestic Abuse Support

Help and support available to anyone experiencing domestic abuse in our areas.

Get Support →
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Employment Support

Learn about the employment opportunities within the areas we serve.

Find Opportunities →
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Support for Armed Forces Veterans

Our commitment to supporting armed forces veterans, from healthcare to employment.

Veterans Support →
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End of Life Care

How we will support you and your family at the end of a loved one's life.

End of Life →
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Overseas Visitors

Information about how we treat visitors from overseas seeking our services.

Overseas Visitors →
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Mental Health Units Use of Force Act 2018

Every individual has the right to be treated with dignity and kindness in our care.

Learn More →
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Eating Disorders Awareness

Information and resources about disordered eating to increase awareness and reduce stigma.

Find Resources →

Safety in ELFT

The safety of patients, service users, carers and our staff underpins everything we do. We are committed to providing safe, effective and compassionate care across all our services.

Working for Us

Making the Trust an excellent place to work is one of our key priorities. We are doing a lot to improve the working lives of our staff.

🔍 View Job Vacancies 📋 Apprenticeships
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Job Vacancies

Take a look at the range of exciting clinical and non-clinical positions available throughout the areas we serve.

Browse Vacancies →
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Apprenticeships

We are proud to provide opportunities for people to learn new skills while obtaining a formal qualification.

View Apprenticeships →
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Temporary Staffing (Bank)

Being employed on the Bank is a great way to gain experience and exposure to the NHS.

Bank Opportunities →
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Looking After Our Staff

Our staff are our most prized asset and we are doing a lot to improve working lives and wellbeing.

Staff Wellbeing →
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Staff Networks

Staff networks offer a place to come together, share experiences and facilitate learning and development.

Join a Network →
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Learning & Development

Continuous development opportunities to grow your skills and advance your career at ELFT.

Explore L&D →
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ELFT Accredited as a Living Wage Employer

We are proud to have been accredited as a Living Wage Employer by the Living Wage Foundation. We pledged to provide a wage that helps people meet their everyday needs — now standard for all staff employed directly by the Trust.

Follow Our Recruitment

Follow our recruitment social media accounts for our latest job openings and updates.

Information about ELFT

Details about our Trust including our history, key facts and our strategy and vision.

History & Key Facts

🏛️ Our Story

East London NHS Foundation Trust was formed to provide integrated mental health, community health, primary care, wellbeing and inpatient services. Today we serve communities across the City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton, with a passion for quality improvement and people participation at our core.

🔍 What We Do

We provide a wide range of mental health, community health, primary care, wellbeing and inpatient services to young people, working age adults and older adults. Our services span everything from crisis care to long-term community support, and we work closely with local authorities, voluntary organisations and communities.

📊 Key Facts

ELFT employs over 7,000 staff and supports more than 100,000 service users each year. We hold a CQC Outstanding rating (June 2023), are a Living Wage Employer, and are proud of our diverse workforce representing the communities we serve.


Our Strategy & Vision

🎯 Our Five-Year Strategy

Our strategy is built around four key objectives: delivering outstanding care, creating a great place to work, using resources wisely, and working with our communities. These objectives guide every decision we make at the Trust.

🌿 Sustainability & Green Plan

Read ELFT's Green Plan and strategy for 2022–2025. We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, improving environmental sustainability, and building a greener NHS for future generations.

🏥 Population Health

We take a population health approach, focusing on the health needs of entire communities rather than just individuals. This means working closely with local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, and communities to address the wider determinants of health.


Our Board


Reports & Publications

Health Professionals

Research, resources, and clinical information for GPs, nurses, social workers and other health professionals.

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Information for GPs

General information for GPs including referral processes, pathways, and key contacts.

GP Resources →
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Referral Forms

Download and submit referral forms for our mental health, community and specialist services.

View Forms →
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Information for Nurses

General information, resources, and clinical guidance specifically for nursing professionals.

Nursing Resources →
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Research & Innovation

Learn about research and innovation at ELFT, including quality improvement and how we work with service users.

Research Hub →
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People Participation

How service users and carers are involved in shaping and improving our services through research.

People Participation →

Quality Assurance

Our approach to quality assurance, clinical governance, and safety standards across ELFT.

Quality Assurance →
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Quality Improvement

QI is about giving people closest to care the skills and resources to solve complex problems.

QI Projects →
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Information for Therapies

Details about our therapies services, contact information, and information about placements and vacancies.

Therapies Info →

Mental Health Act Resources

Get Involved

Details on volunteering, how to become a member of the Trust, our Council of Governors and People Participation.

🔔 Find Out More About ELFT Membership
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Council of Governors

Governors represent the views of their members and work in partnership with the Trust at a strategic level to help plan and shape its services.

Learn More →
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People Participation

People Participation is about helping our service users and their carers to have a say in how we run the Trust — and working together to offer a better service for all.

Learn More →
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Telephone Befriending Service

The ELFT Telephone Befriending Service arranges phone calls between Service Users and Befrienders at a regular timeslot each week to combat feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Get Involved →
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ELFT Charity

You can make a donation to the ELFT Charity to benefit local services and local communities throughout the areas we serve.

Donate Now →
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Volunteering

Volunteering roles are available within services across the Trust. Volunteering is a great way to develop your skills and experience, and do something meaningful in your free time to help others.

Volunteer →

Contact Us

For general enquiries during office hours from Monday to Friday. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 and select Option 2.

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Urgent Mental Health Support

Available in East London, Bedfordshire and Luton, outside office hours or for new contacts.

📞 NHS 111 — Option 2

🏢 London Head Office

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Robert Dolan House, Trust Headquarters

9 Alie Street, London E1 8DE

Tel: 020 7655 4000

Email: elft.communications@nhs.net

🏥 Bedfordshire & Luton

For mental health, community and primary care services:

Charter House, Alma Street

Luton, LU1 2PJ

Tel: 01582 708999

Email: elft.communications@nhs.net

💬 Complaints & Feedback

If you wish to make a complaint, make a suggestion or give us some feedback, please get in contact with us.

elft.complaints@nhs.net

PALS — Patient Advice & Liaison

Complaints Advocacy

📰 Media Enquiries

To contact our Media team for press enquiries, interviews or statements, please visit our press enquiries page.

Visit Press Enquiries Page →

🗂️ Freedom of Information

For information we may hold under the Freedom of Information Act, please use our online form or email us directly.

Freedom of Information Form

elft.foi@nhs.net


Other Enquiries