Priory has been recognised by the NHS Confederation for its role in helping reduce out-of-area placements and support people to receive mental health care closer to home.
Priory Hospital Preston’s Elswick Ward features as a positive practice example in the NHS Confederation’s Bringing care closer to home report, published this week (16 December).
It highlights the impact of close partnership working between independent providers and NHS systems to address local capacity pressures and improve patient flow.
Through collaboration with local NHS partners, additional adult acute inpatient capacity – a £4.5 million 12-bed unit – was opened at the hospital in October 2024, enabling more people to be treated within their local area and maintain vital connections with family, carers and community support.
This has also supported stronger discharge planning and closer working with community mental health teams.
The initiative had already helped avoid 85 out of area placements by August, saving approximately £255,000 for the NHS through reduced length of stay alone over the 10-month period.
Since then, the partnership has continued to support local mental health services in meeting rising demand.
Read more about the development at https://www.nhsconfed.org/case-studies/expanding-local-capacity-preston-reduce-out-area-placements.