North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

What North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust does

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is a publicly funded statutory NHS body that provides mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and primary care services across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, serving a catchment of approximately 464,000 people from around 30 sites. Its main inpatient facility is Harplands Hospital (opened 2001) and it also operates GP surgeries, community teams, and a Single Point of Access supported by 24/7 crisis resolution via NHS 111. The trust received an overall 'Outstanding' rating from the Care Quality Commission in 2019, with primary care services at Moorcroft and Moss Green rated Outstanding for Well-led in November 2021.

Its technology stack centres on the PatientAide patient portal (provided by Dedalus and integrated with the NHS App), supporting appointment access, care plans, medications and questionnaire completion, plus integrations with Fitbit and Garmin wearables, the One Health and Care shared record system, and an AWS-hosted encrypted UK data environment. Supplementary digital assets include the All-Age Wellbeing Portal, the 'Combined Minds' AI-enabled risk management training platform, the Combined Virtual Reality (CVR) programme on Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest Pro (including the FRED dementia/delirium learning film), and a Combinations podcast. Capital investment in Project Chrysalis (£15 million) is converting Harplands dormitory wards into single en-suite bedrooms.

The trust's commercial model is fundamentally a public-sector commissioning arrangement: services are free at the point of use and funded by NHS England, Integrated Care Boards and Clinical Commissioning Groups, with supplementary income from charitable donations through the Combined Charity (registered charity 1057104) and modest professional services revenue such as the National Neuropsychiatry Conference (£150 + VAT per attendee). Recent activity includes the August 2026 transfer of the Transforming Care Programme from Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit and the PatientAide NHS App integration, signalling incremental service-line and digital channel expansion within the NHS commissioning envelope.

Name

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

Legal name

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

Website

https://combined.nhs.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is a publicly funded NHS provider delivering mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and primary care services to approximately 464,000 people in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire from around 30 sites, including Harplands Hospital and several GP practices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals (62221), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Primary Care Practices (HLAFAGAA)

Keywords

• Mental health services
• Learning disability care
• Substance misuse treatment
• Primary care NHS
• Crisis resolution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Trentham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. NHS Commissioning: Publicly funded NHS services commissioned by NHS England, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), and Clinical Commissioning Groups. Core funding from government NHS allocations.
2. Charitable Donations: Combined Charity accepts donations to improve care and experience of service users. Funds used for equipment, training, research, and facility improvements beyond NHS provision.
3. Conference Revenue: National Neuropsychiatry Conference generates revenue through attendee fees at £150 + VAT per person with group discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is a publicly funded NHS Trust providing mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, and primary care services across North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, serving approximately 464,000 people from around 30 sites including the main Harplands Hospital. Services include inpatient and community mental health care, CAMHS, crisis resolution and home treatment, learning disability and autism support, substance misuse treatment, and GP surgeries, complemented by digital patient engagement platforms (PatientAide and the All-Age Wellbeing Portal) and immersive VR training tools.

Product overview

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust operates a digital health platform primarily centred on PatientAide, a patient-facing portal enabling appointment booking, health record access, and care team communication. The platform integrates with NHS App, Fitbit, Garmin devices, and YouTube. Supporting modules include the All-Age Wellbeing Portal for community mental health self-management, Combined Minds for AI-powered risk management training, and Combined Virtual Reality for immersive VR-based staff training and patient wellbeing experiences. Additional initiatives include Project Chrysalis (£15M inpatient facility upgrade) and the Combinations Podcast for mental health education. The trust provides mental health services, learning disability services, substance misuse services, and primary care through GP practices across Staffordshire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PatientAide: A secure mobile and web-based patient engagement platform enabling better communication between healthcare providers and patients
• Combined Charity
• Combined Virtual Reality (CVR)
• Project Chrysalis
• ELEVATE
• Wellbeing Portal

Products and services

• Adult Mental Health Services Inpatient and community mental health services for adults including treatment for depression, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders, self-harm, and recovery-focused care across North Staffordshire.
• Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Specialist mental and emotional health support for children and young people up to 18 years and their families, covering depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and trauma.
• Learning Disability and Autism Services Specialist learning disability and autism support including the Transforming Care Programme focused on community-based care and reducing hospital admissions for individuals with learning disabilities and autistic people.
• Substance Misuse Services Treatment and recovery support services for substance misuse, including harm reduction interventions.
• Primary Care (GP) Services General practice services delivered through trust-operated GP surgeries, including Moorcroft and Moss Green, integrated with mental health and community services.
• Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Service 24/7 mental health crisis support service providing urgent assessment and home-based treatment, accessible by calling NHS 111 and selecting the mental health option.
• Single Point of Access Service Central telephone contact point for treatment queries and referrals, available Monday to Friday 9am-5pm on 0800 0328 728.
• All-Age Wellbeing Portal A digital self-management platform for mental health and wellbeing, accessible to all ages, providing resources and tools for mental health self-management in the community, with support from Combined Healthcare and partner organisations.
• PatientAide Portal A secure web and mobile patient engagement portal built on Dedalus infrastructure enabling patients to view health records, book appointments, message their care team, complete questionnaires, and connect personal health devices (Fitbit, Garmin). Integrated with the NHS App.
• National Neuropsychiatry Conference Annual professional conference for consultants, GPs, nurses, and allied health professionals focused on neuropsychiatry, with attendee fee of £150 + VAT per person and group discounts.
• Combined Charity Registered charity (number 1057104) linked to the trust that accepts donations to fund equipment, training, research, and facility improvements beyond NHS provision.

Quantifiable outcome

• CQC Outstanding overall rating (2019)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• DedaluscoreTechnology or Integration · 5 August 2026Dedalus provides the PatientAide portal integrated with NHS App. Director Mark Rearden stated commitment to supporting trust's digital ambitions and national NHS App strategy.
• NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2026Commissioning decision led to Transforming Care Programme transfer from Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit to Combined Healthcare. Service remains commissioned by this ICB.
• Staffordshire UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mental Health Reflections multimedia exhibition celebrating NHS 75th anniversary, featuring video testimonies and virtual reality experience.
• Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrevious host of Transforming Care Programme prior to national closure of commissioning support units. Working closely during transition period.
• Changes Health & WellbeingstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ELEVATE youth council, involving young people aged 13-21 in service redesign, recruitment, and co-production.
• The Carers TruststrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership ensuring Triangle of Care principles are embedded within trust culture for carer support.
• North Staffs Carers AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal charity providing support and advice to carers. Joint referral pathway and information sharing.
• University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing range of clinical and non-clinical services supporting UHNM.
• Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust participates in partnership boards with health, social care, independent and voluntary sector organisations. Leadership role in local Integrated Care System.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCloud storage solution for clinical systems. All data remains in UK and is encrypted both in transit and at rest. AWS provides infrastructure without access to decryption keys.
• Hugh JamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 9th National Neuropsychiatry Conference alongside MEDICE and North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.
• MEDICEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor for 9th National Neuropsychiatry Conference alongside Hugh James and North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CombinedNHS
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthStaffsCombined
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-staffordshire-combined-healthcare-nhs-trust
• Xx.com/combinednhs

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust