Hammersmith and Fulham Council and the West London NHS Trust have formalised their commitment to integrated mental health services through a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to improve care for residents.
The agreement, presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, aims to streamline joint working arrangements across various mental health pathways. These include hospital discharge, community support, forensic services, and aftercare.
Under the MoU, West London NHS Trust will continue to lead on clinical assessments, diagnoses, inpatient care, and early discharge planning. Hammersmith and Fulham Council will retain responsibility for Care Act assessments, social care planning, safeguarding, and post-discharge reviews.
Joint responsibilities encompass Section 117 aftercare planning, maintaining a shared aftercare register, dispute resolution, and shared governance. The specific criteria or triggers for joint responsibility in Section 117 aftercare planning are detailed within the MoU, ensuring clarity for both parties.
This formalised collaboration is expected to lead to faster and smoother access to the right support for residents with mental illness, shorter and safer hospital stays, and more joined-up assessments and decision-making. It also aims to foster a more personalised, prevention-focused approach and ensure clearer responsibilities, reducing gaps in care.
The Hammersmith & Fulham Mental Health Steering Group will provide strategic oversight, with an Operational Leadership Group managing day-to-day delivery and performance monitoring. Performance indicators will include timeliness of discharge, reduced delayed transfers of care, reduction in out-of-borough placements, Section 117 compliance, readmission rates, and user feedback. These measures will be monitored monthly and reported into governance structures, ensuring that user feedback is effectively incorporated into service improvements.
The MoU itself does not create new financial obligations, but any pooled budgets or financial commitments will require separate agreement through appropriate commissioning and governance routes. Potential risks, such as Section 117 disputes and information-sharing issues, are to be mitigated through clear governance, shared records, and improved joint processes. Concrete steps are being taken to address potential information-sharing issues, including the establishment of shared records and improved joint processes, as outlined in the risk mitigation strategies.
Should the dispute resolution process prove ineffective, the identified risks include potential Section 117 disputes, information-sharing issues, inconsistent practice across teams, and pressures on supported accommodation. The mitigations in place aim to address these by strengthening governance, ensuring comprehensive shared records, and refining joint processes.
Read the full MoU here. The meeting agenda can be found here.
