Case study of a mental health trust

The Tavistock and Portman Clinics became a National Health Service (NHS) Trust in 1994. They are NHS outpatient clinics providing a range of mental health services for psychological, emotional, and personality problems. Both clinics provide a range of services, which include family work, individual psychotherapy for children or adults, group therapy, and couple therapy. The Tavistock Clinic is also a training institution providing postgraduate mental health training. The transition process at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust is best described as a gradual evolution that was driven in part by individuals within the Trust and in part by the changing external environment and external requirements of the NHS. The Commission for Health Improvement's (CHI) review of the Trust started in September 2002. This involved complex preparation and a large amount of documentation, including a lengthy and detailed questionnaire about the Trust sent to CHI in November 2002.