South West Provider Collaborative

Provider Collaboratives are a national initiative designed to encourage different providers within defined geographical areas to design, commission and deliver services more closely together. The intended benefits are to enhance productivity and sustainability of services, tackle workforce recruitment and retention issues, address unwarranted variation in clinical practice and reduce health inequalities.

About us

Our South West Provider Collaborative is an award-winning partnership including NHS trusts, independent sector organisations and a community interest company, with Devon Partnership NHS Trust as our lead provider.

• Devon Partnership NHS Trust
• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
• Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
• Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust
• Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
• Somerset NHS Foundation Trust
• Livewell Southwest
• Elysium Healthcare
• Priory

Together, we're transforming the mental healthcare landscape in the South West, covering a vast geography that spans almost 24,000 square kilometres, impacting seven Integrated Care Systems and a population of around 5.8 million. 

At the heart of our mission is a commitment to delivering high-quality care as close to home as possible. By fostering collaboration amongst clinicians, patients, families, and carers, we've designed innovative clinical pathways that prioritise patient well-being and community connection.

We also facilitate collaborative working amongst our Provider Partner members, across our seven Integrated Care Systems.

Our services and locations

Our Collaborative commissions the following specialised mental health services:

• Adult Secure Services (including inpatient and community services)
• Child and Young People’s Mental Health Tier 4 Services (including inpatient, community and Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
• Adult Eating Disorder Inpatient Services
• Inpatient Perinatal Services

We continuously operate at the highest level of quality assurance maturity under the Quality Assurance Matrix for all service lines, and since April 2023, we have been able to fund dedicated Specialised Forensic Community Services in every area of the South West.

Over the last few years, our commissioned services have continued to grow to support the needs of our population. In April 2024, we received full delegation of Inpatient Perinatal Services from NHS England for the South West region.

By bringing together clinicians at the very start of our partnership and involving our patients, their families and carers in decision-making, we have been able to design new clinical pathways. This innovative way of working continues to deliver efficiencies that benefit our local population. For example, more than 90% of adults with secure mental health needs are now treated in the region where they live, compared with less than 50% when we began as a New Care Model pilot in 2016.

Our Collaborative is dedicated to:

• Optimising patient pathways, delivering on least restrictive principles, improving access for people as near to their homes as appropriate
• Improving the quality of outcomes of our services for people who use them, through continuous review and removing unwarranted variation
• Being part of a region of excellence for collaborative working enabling shared pathways and system wide solutions
• Providing system leadership, utilising our collective clinical commissioner, and provider experience to design innovative care pathways alongside experts by experience and their support networks
• Developing and maintaining a clinically and financially sustainable model

Locations