The East London Foundation Trust announced plans to reduce its budget by £25 million through a combination of service cuts and job losses, affecting approximately 5% of its 6,000-person workforce. The trust indicated it would shed around 330 positions while redesigning at least 10 key services, including child and adolescent mental health care, psychological therapies, addiction support, crisis intervention, and community programs serving ethnic minorities and lower-income populations.
The cuts were mandated as NHS England required all 205 trusts across the country to balance their budgets. One facility, Fothergill ward—a 20-bed intermediate care unit at the trust’s East Ham location—stopped accepting new referrals and is scheduled for closure on 21 September. The trust serves mental health needs across the east London boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, and Newham, as well as areas in Bedfordshire.
Trade union leaders and politicians voiced opposition to the planned reductions. Richard Munn, national health officer for Unite, characterized the cuts as unacceptable and predicted they would result in longer wait times for patients requiring urgent care. The union prepared to ballot members regarding potential strike action. MP Apsana Begum raised concerns about whether proper risk assessments had been conducted regarding impacts on public health, safety, and health equity.
Campaign groups warned that reduced NHS mental health capacity could push patients toward private care options. The trust stated it had not completed impact assessments because the proposals remained preliminary, though detailed cut lists were finalized as of 7 May. ELFT emphasized its commitment to maintaining care quality while meeting financial obligations, noting it would conduct quality impact assessments before implementing any changes and was consulting with unions and partners on implementation approaches.
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