Provider collaboratives

Provider collaboratives are partnerships that bring together multiple NHS trusts (providers of NHS services including hospitals and mental health services) to work together at scale.

Since July 2022, all NHS trusts providing acute and mental health services have joined a provider collaborative. NHS community and ambulance trusts and non-NHS providers, such as voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector organisations or independent providers, will also be offered the opportunity to take part where this will benefit patients.

In Cheshire and Merseyside, there are two provider collaboratives:

• Cheshire and Merseyside Acute and Specialist Trust (CMAST)
• Mental Health, Learning Disabilities and Community Services (MHLDC)

Across the country, all provider collaboratives have been tasked with developing:

• a shared vision and commitment to collaborate
• strong accountability mechanisms for members
• building on existing successful governance arrangements
• efficient decision-making
• embedding clinical and community voices
• streamlining ways of working