Latest updates

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of EMA Today, the quarterly e-newsletter from the East Midlands Alliance for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism for Alliance colleagues, stakeholders and the wider healthcare community. 

The East Midlands Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Provider Collaborative has been named the regional winner in the Improving health outcomes category at the inaugural NHS Excellence Awards.

EMA CEOs recently came together for a focused session on national and regional progress in implementing the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF).

A new transformational project for children and young people's mental health is about to begin across the East Midlands.Two new day service sites are being launched this year by the East Midlands CAMHS Collaborative, offering specialist support in a less restrictive, community based setting.

To strengthen patient experience and ensure every voice is heard, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) runs the Every Voice Group. As part of this work, patient partners recently produced a powerful video to help staff understand what restraint feels like from a patient's perspective.

Over the last year, Health Innovation East Midlands (HIEM) has been working with Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) ICB and Northamptonshire ICB on a National Medicines Safety Improvement Programme (MedSIP) to: 'help people with learning disability at risk of behaviour that challenges, reduce harm from psychotropic medicines'. 

Service users across IMPACT's women's secure pathway have taken the lead in reviewing and greenlighting funding bids.

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) have been shortlisted in the Improving Mental Health through Digital category at the HSJ Digital Awards 2026.

Welcome to the January 2026 edition of EMA Today, the quarterly e-newsletter from the East Midlands Alliance for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism for Alliance colleagues, stakeholders and the wider healthcare community. 

Created in partnership with service users, families and team members, a brand new inpatient unit is now open in Northamptonshire, offering a friendly and supportive live-in environment for young people with mental health difficulties.

The East Midlands Alliance Mental Health Act Workshops Programme, delivered by Weightmans LLP has helped over 165 EMA colleagues so far explore the fundamental parts of the Mental Health Act reform 2025 and how this impacts on services and patient care.   

When a child or young person has to be admitted for hospital treatment because of mental health problems, it can be an overwhelming experience for their families.

The continuing transformation of mental health services for children and young people (CAMHS) across the East Midlands has won national recognition with success in the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards.

Welcome to the October 2025 edition of EMA Today, the quarterly e-newsletter from the East Midlands Alliance for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism for Alliance colleagues, stakeholders and the wider healthcare community. 

The East Midlands Alliance recently hosted its annual event, bringing together senior leaders from across the region to celebrate achievements, share insights and to think about the future of joint working to improve mental health, learning disability and autism services in the region.

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has recently opened two state-of-the-art inpatient units at Kingsway Hospital in Derby - marking a major step forward in local psychiatric care as part of the trust's Making Room for Dignity Programme.

The Waterlily programme, which is coordinated by the East Midlands Alliance Adult Eating Disorders Collaborative, has won the 'Community Initiative Award' at the Health Service Journal's (HSJ) patient safety awards.

A new 24-bed hospital, Cygnet Elowen, had its grand opening event in Derbyshire in July, increasing our region's capacity for adult eating disorder inpatient care.

Work to ensure young people can access the same high-quality mental health day services - wherever they live in the East Midlands - has moved a step closer to completion.

An online event brought together colleagues from across the region to discuss common mental health warning signs in women admitted to Mother and Baby Units. 

The Midlands NHS region has received funding to develop a Regional Job Planning Improvement Network and recruit Experts by Experience to support professional development across the region

A new programme is introducing new thinking and supportive practices for internationally recruited clinical support workers and nurses.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2025 Health Service Journal Awards for its work leading the transformation of children and young people's mental health services (CAMHS) across the East Midlands.

Welcome to the July 2025 edition of EMA Today, the quarterly e-newsletter from the East Midlands Alliance for Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Autism for Alliance colleagues, stakeholders and the wider healthcare community. 

East Midlands Alliance partner, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, has opened a new, state of the art mental health facility - The Carsington Unit, based on the Kingsway Hospital site in Derby.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) has reopened an in-patient ward for people needing intensive mental health support after a major renovation was completed to provide a safer environment to improve quality of patient care.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) has reopened an in-patient ward for people needing intensive mental health support after a major renovation was completed to provide a safer environment to improve quality of patient care.

For a parent or carer navigating the complex landscape of their child's mental health journey, the feeling of being unheard can be devastating.

The IMPACT Annual Report for 2024/25 has highlighted how providers have successfully reduced the number of East Midlands people receiving secure care outside of the region, thus bringing people closer to home, their families and minimising their time in hospital

The East Midlands Alliance has launched a Mental Health Act Workshops Programme, which will run throughout 2025, delivered by Weightmans LLP and available to all partners across the region.