In a major step forward for mental health care in London, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust have gone live with eMHA by Thalamos.
These launches mark the fourth and fifth NHS Trusts to adopt the system as part of the OneLondon eMHA programme, a region-wide initiative to digitise Mental Health Act (MHA) processes.
Widely recognised as one of the largest mental health trusts in both London and England — due to the size of the population it supports and the breadth of care it delivers — SLaM offers over 230 specialist pathways across the full spectrum of mental health, from perinatal care to forensic psychiatry. Many of these areas attract referrals from across the UK and internationally. Its adoption of eMHA by Thalamos signals a significant shift towards more integrated and efficient care delivery.
Across both SLaM and Oxleas, eMHA by Thalamos now replaces traditional paper-based workflows with a secure, digital platform. This enables health and care professionals to complete, share, and manage MHA documentation more efficiently and safely. The result is improved accuracy, greater coordination, and a reduction in administrative burdens — freeing up more time for frontline staff to focus on patient care.
Key benefits of using eMHA by Thalamos include:
- Faster and more accurate completion of Mental Health Act forms
- Reduced administrative burden for clinical teams
- Improved information sharing across regions and services
As part of SLaM’s go-live, Thalamos also integrated the Personal Demographics Service (PDS) to support continuity of care across mental health pathways. The integration of PDS allows clinicians to search for and retrieve accurate patient demographic details. This helps reduce the creation of duplicate patient records and lowers the risk of critical information being missed during assessments or at points of care.
This integration brings significant operational and clinical benefits. For example, if a patient is initially detained at Oxleas and later readmitted to SLaM, the PDS lookup enables SLaM clinicians to locate the existing patient record. This not only surfaces up-to-date demographic information, but also previous MHA documentation and section history — streamlining care, especially in time-sensitive situations such as AWOL incidents or emergency readmissions.
Bringing London together
The OneLondon eMHA programme, supported by NHS England funding, aims to modernise how MHA information is recorded and shared — supporting faster, safer, and more joined-up assessment, treatment, and discharge of individuals detained under the Act.
A major milestone in this phase of the programme is the collaboration between three Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), which are now sharing live section status data for the first time. This real-time visibility enables clinicians to avoid duplicated assessments, provide informed care, and maintain continuity as patients move across different areas and services.
The OneLondon eMHA programme began in November 2024, when East London NHS Foundation Trust first implemented eMHA by Thalamos. Since then, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) and South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) have also gone live.
Since implementation, these three Trusts have:
- Onboarded over 1,000 professional users
- Supported more than 500 patient admissions
- Created over 3,000 digital MHA forms
- Encountered fewer than 10 errors requiring amendment
Professor Elizabeth Sampson, Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist at Royal London Hospital for East London NHS Foundation Trust, reflected on four months of adoption by saying: “The new eMHA by Thalamos system makes it easier to complete and share patient forms. It has definitely led to fewer mistakes in documents such as an incorrect patient address. Previously we sometimes had to make corrections by hand and it took time to amend the paperwork. Now it is so much easier and quicker which helps ensure patients get the right care sooner.”
Dr Paul Gilluley, Chief Medical Officer at North East London ICB and OneLondon eMHA Programme Senior Responsible Owner, added: “It is great that five of London’s Mental Health Trusts are now using the new eMHA by Thalamos tool. It is fantastic that we are starting to get some really positive feedback from frontline staff about how the new system will support faster and more joined-up care. With more Trusts and partner organisations now using the system, even more patients are set to benefit over the coming weeks and months.”
Zoe Seager, Client Director at Thalamos, added: “By digitising Mental Health Act processes, these trusts are taking a significant step towards safer, more efficient, and more coordinated care for those detained under the Act. The ability to share live section status data across three Integrated Care Boards is a game-changer for mental health services in London, helping clinicians make better-informed decisions and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
“This is about more than just technology — it’s about giving clinicians and other mental health professionals the tools they need to provide the best care possible, even in complex and time-sensitive situations.”
