News

The Experience and Engagement Team recently hosted a small but meaningful thank you event to recognise the incredible contribution of our volunteers and involvement members across the Trust.

We are encouraging people across the region to put their mental wellbeing first this January and to seek support if they are finding the start of the year difficult.

Trust members recently voted in our public governor elections. Voting closed on 11 December and we are pleased to announce the results

In December we told you how we had been working with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHTR) and the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) to identify alternative accommodation for future patients who require services Longridge Hospital delivers for the community of Central Lancashire.

While the festive season is over there is still plenty to look forward to, to help boost your self-care and wellbeing throughout 2026.

We have officially welcomed our first patients to Water Meadow View. A brand new £32 million specialist acute mental health inpatient facility for adults with a learning disability.

Earlier this year the ward was temporarily reduced from 15 beds to five due to fire safety measures should there be a need to safely evacuate frail and older patients from the first floor of the unit in an emergency.

For many of us, the festive season is a time for family, food and togetherness. We know this is often juggled around work commitments for the over 1.5 million people who work for the NHS. Colleagues across our services continue to provide care on Christmas Day and throughout the holidays, ensuring people receive the support they need when they need it most.

On 31 December 2025 Paul Farrimond, NED for LSCFT and Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Trust Quality Committee will leave us after six years at LSCFT. Paul has been with the Trust as a Board member for two terms of office, each lasting three years and has now sadly reached the end of his time with us. As Paul departs, it is with an absolute pleasure that I welcome Gail Briers onto the Board of LSCFT. 

Involving patients in their care, openness, collaboration and partnership working were just some of the areas commended in a CQC inspection of our perinatal services, which today (Friday 12 December) we can announce has overall been rated as outstanding.

Now the festive season is in full swing, we are reminding local communities, service users and colleagues that their mental health matters and it’s okay to ask for help if struggling.

Our Lead Nurse for Sudden and Unexpected Deaths in Children (SUDC), Joanne Birch has been named the first-ever recipient of the SUDC UK Professional Award in Memory of Alexander and Isabelle Bowes.