About us

WHO WE ARE

We give compassionate care to support a stronger, healthier community.

We provide more than 240 services across the county – as well as some specialist services in bordering and nearby counties. We work together with our partners to ensure that everyone who comes through our doors receives compassionate, person-centred care, regardless of their background or circumstances.

We began… in April 2001 when the Northampton Community Healthcare NHS Trust and Rockingham Forest NHS Trust merged. At that time, we were called Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Eight years later in May 2009, we became an NHS foundation trust. Today, we are called Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (or NHFT for short) and continue to bring outstanding, compassionate care to our community.

We care… Our team of around 5,500 dedicated professionals are passionate about what they do. This includes those who work tirelessly to care for people, and those who support the staff serving patients in our hospitals and clinics, as well as people in their homes, work, schools and communities. Throughout the past year, our staff have gone above and beyond to deliver care in the face of unprecedented challenges. Even with increasing economic challenges and healthcare demands, we are committed to our vision to provide outstanding, compassionate care to the people in this county.

We’re led by… our Board of Directors, which is made up of executive directors (employed directly by the Trust) and non-executive directors (appointed by the Council of Governors), who set the Trust’s strategy. Together, they oversee our work and are accountable for making certain that the care we provide is always of the highest quality. The Board relies on hundreds of leaders throughout the organisation who are responsible for individual aspects of our work. As an NHS foundation trust, our Board is accountable to our Council of Governors, which is made up of service users, carers, members of the public, community leaders, partners and NHFT staff. The council represents our local communities – those we serve – and ensures that our services are fit for purpose and reflective of the high standards the people in Northamptonshire deserve

We serve a population of 785,200 people living across the county, working in partnership with the two local Councils, North and West Northamptonshire Councils. 

 

OUR TRUST

ADULT, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES

For people over the age of 18, our adult services range from specialist to general healthcare. We work from community hospitals, specialist clinics and care homes, as well as in workplaces and residential homes. From childbirth to end of life care, our services are available across home and school settings, as well as doctors’ practices and hospitals. We work closely with our partners and the voluntary sector to ensure we deliver safe, compassionate, high quality services for those we care for, their carers and families.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

We help those living with mental health needs to manage their current health and live independently for a positive future. Our highly experienced, multi-disciplinary teams and expert professionals deliver our care via in-patient environments or in the community. We are focused on working together to make a positive difference. Our services are provided at home or in the community. 

RESEARCH, INNOVATION, STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND PARTNERSHIP WORKING

We know that we must keep focusing on the future, while making sure we learn from our past experience. We have a strong research and innovation programme and are leading national innovations in care. We invest in our staff and have a thriving organisational development and training programme. We are also passionate about developing our services in partnership, as we believe we are all stronger if we work together collaboratively. This is shown through our lively patient, carer and family engagement programme. The programme supports volunteering and apprentices, so we can ensure that we do all we can to create pathways of care with our partners – in ways that are right for those we care for.

NHFT is proud to show our commitment to the Armed Forces through the Armed Forces Covenant, with our initial pledge having been taken in 2017.

The 2 key principles of the covenant are that:

• no member of the armed forces community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen
• in some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate, especially for the injured or bereaved

NHFT welcomes feedback from our armed forces community to inform and improve services.

Additionally NHFT has been a Gold Award holder for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme since 2020, confirming our commitment to support for our staff who are veterans, Reserves, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, and spouses and partners of those serving in the Armed Forces.

If you waould like more information about the help and support available through NHFT, please contact 

Lizzy.Stirzaker@nhft.nhs.uk

From April 2023 Statutory Covenant provisions came into force. View the   Armed_Forces_Covenant_Duty_Statutory_Guidance.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)