Plans are on the table for a proposed merger between North Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (NEP) and South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) from April this year. Between them, the Trusts provide a range of mental health, community health and learning disabilities NHS services in Essex and Bedfordshire.

No final decisions to merge have been made yet. Both Trusts are firmly committed to acting only in the best interests of the people using their services, their families and carers. This will be the deciding factor in any decisions. In the meantime, it remains “business as usual” for services at both Trusts for the foreseeable future.