Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust came into being on 1st April 2006, as Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust joined with Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare Trust to provide mental health services across the two counties. This is the result of a long programme of joint working and service improvements since Chief Executive Julie Waldron brought both Trusts under one leadership team.

“We believe that being one significantly sized organisation enables us to improve our services, offer better opportunities to our staff, and well equipped to promote and protect the interests and care of those who use our services,” said Julie Waldron. “We have had substantial challenges over the past year, but I believe the Trust has now turned the corner. Providing the best quality services within a tight financial environment has always been difficult, but our management team is firmly committed to doing just that.”

Primary Care Trusts, who commission mental health services from the Trust, who provides them, voiced their support. Lee Whitehead, Director of Commissioning for Vale of Aylesbury PCT said “A bigger organisationwill havegreater financial stability, better recruitment potentialand abroader learning base toensure servicesare effective. This will be balanced by a focus oncare delivery into localcommunities.’ Andrea Young, Chief Executive of Oxford City PCT said, “This can only be a good thing for mental health services in our area. The Trust has reorganised its services to reduce management overheads and put the patient at the centre.”

The new organisation will be chaired by Janet Godden, who continues from her role as Chair of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Trust. The other non-executive Board members are Dr Ollie Okeke, June McKerrow, Councillor Roger Reed, Professor Guy Goodwin, and Dr Geoffrey Harris, with one post still to be filled. Trust headquarters remain at Littlemore Mental Health Centre in Oxford, with a significant presence of management expertise based at Manor House, Aylesbury.