HPFT - Adult Acute Inpatient Service

Trust Overview
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) supports people with mental ill health, learning disabilities and autism across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk and Essex.
HPFT ("The Authority") wishes to secure additional CQC registered adult acute mental health inpatient beds within the Hertfordshire region.

Service Overview
The aim of this service is to provide additional adult (generally 18-65 with some older adults with functional mental health needs) acute mental health inpatient capacity through a flexible model that accommodates both male and female service users. This provision will supplement HPFT's existing inpatient capacity and align closely with the Trust's current inpatient offer, ensuring an inclusive, responsive, least restrictive and recovery focused service.

The service will deliver high-quality, therapeutic care that supports service users to achieve stability and return to their usual settings as soon as clinically appropriate. Providers are expected to maintain reasonable lengths of stay, proactively plan for discharge, and work collaboratively with community and crisis teams to enable timely transitions back into the community.

Providers must embed least restrictive principles into all care and treatment, ensuring that any use of enhanced observations is purposeful, person centered, and regularly reviewed. Routine oversight should be applied to any enhanced observation to ensure interventions remain proportionate, safe, and supportive.

The service should be delivered in a manner that ensures value for money, balancing high-quality care with efficient use of resources. This includes strong clinical governance, effective workforce management, and collaboration with HPFT to maximize outcomes for service users while maintaining cost-effectiveness.

The additional capacity will be made available through a combination of block and spot purchase arrangements, providing flexibility to meet fluctuating demand and support local population needs.

Service Objectives
Promote Recovery and Timely Discharge
*Deliver care and treatment that supports recovery and enables service users to return to their usual setting as soon as clinically appropriate.
*Maintain a clear focus on reducing length of stay through proactive discharge planning and close collaboration with community and crisis services.

Provide Safe, Quality, Therapeutic Care
*Ensure all inpatient environments and care practices meet statutory, regulatory, and quality standards, delivering treatment that is safe, compassionate, and effective.
*Provide care in settings that are therapeutic and recovery oriented
Reduce Restrictive Practice
*Commit to minimising restrictive interventions and enhanced observations, ensuring these are only used when clinically justified, for the shortest possible duration, and regularly reviewed.
*Participate in routine reviews or queries for any service user subject to cumulative enhanced observation (1:1 or higher) exceeding 14 days, to ensure operations are safe and supportive.

Collaborate on Flow and Capacity Management
*Work in partnership with HPFT to maintain effective patient flow, including timely reviews of bed availability, discharge planning, and special observations.
*Participate in regular operational meetings to support shared oversight of capacity, quality, and performance.

Coproduced, Person-Centred Care
*Embed least restrictive principles throughout all care and decision-making processes, ensuring respect for choice, dignity, and autonomy.
*Provide evidence of active service user and carer involvement in care planning and discharge processes.