A new NHS trust responsible for mental health services across north London has formally launched, bringing two predecessor trusts together as a single organisation.
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) came into being on 24 September 2026, following approval by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
It was created by bringing together the former Barnet, Enfield and Haringey and Camden and Islington mental health trusts, drawing, in the new trust’s words, on the best of both organisations.
The trust’s stated vision is “Better Mental Health, Better Lives and Better Communities” for local people.
What has changed and what has not
The change announced at launch is organisational. Two mental health trusts have been replaced by one foundation trust covering their combined area, under the NLFT name.
The trust says it will continue to work closely with service users, carers, staff, Governors and local partners, and that its aim is to provide great care for the people it serves, to be a good place to work for staff, and to deliver improved services across north London.
What the launch announcement does not do is list specific changes for patients on day one. It does not set out new appointment arrangements, team moves, site closures or new referral routes, and today’s announcement should be read as the formal start of the new organisation, rather than as a detailed service-change plan.
Who the trust serves
NLFT provides mental health care for people in the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
The trust says most of its services are based in the community, with inpatient mental health care also provided in hospitals. It describes support for people throughout their lives, from birth to old age, across a range of mental health conditions, alongside more specialist services for a wider population.
Care is delivered from more than 50 locations across the five boroughs, ranging from major mental health and community hospital sites to clinics, care homes, people’s own homes and prisons. Main sites named by the trust include St Ann’s Hospital, pictured above, St Pancras Hospital in Camden, Chase Farm Hospital and Edgware Community Hospital, the Highgate mental health centres and the Springwell Centre at Barnet Hospital.
How to get help
The launch announcement itself does not publish new contact or referral routes. The route below is therefore the trust’s published main contact route, taken from its Contact us page, not a new launch-day referral system.
For Barnet, Enfield and Haringey services, the trust lists its switchboard as 020 8702 3000. For Camden and Islington services, the switchboard number given is 020 3317 7500. Its headquarters address is given as St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, London NW1 0PE.
For urgent help, the trust’s Urgent help page advises people to contact NHS 111 and select the mental health option, or to use 111 online. It also points to its Mental Health A&E Crisis Assessment Service at Highgate and in Enfield, described as open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and says to call 999 or go to A&E where life is at risk or someone cannot keep themselves or others safe.
Who runs it
The trust is run by its Board, which the trust says provides overall leadership, vision and strategic direction. The Board page on the trust’s website lists Lena Samuels as Chair and Jinjer Kandola MBE as Chief Executive.
Alongside the Board sits a Council of Governors. The trust says governors include elected public, staff and service-user governors, as well as stakeholder governors, representing trust members and the wider community.
The trust’s own announcement can be read in full on its official launch news page, “Launch of the new North London NHS Foundation Trust today”.
