The Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation has made a groundbreaking donation of £1.905 million to create a brand-new Young People’s Rapid Assessment Unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, part of the Best For You programme. Best For You is a new, user-led model of care that is transforming young people’s experiences of mental health support. It is made up of a partnership between Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, West London NHS Trust, CW+, and Imperial College.

Best For You combines innovative, accessible digital resources and community partnerships to provide early intervention support, alongside specialist help for young people who are acutely unwell. The brand-new Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation Rapid Assessment Unit will be the UK’s first 72-hour unit for young people in mental health crisis. The unit will form part of a state-of-the-art Young People’s Centre, which will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team and will integrate medical care with mental health care to quickly and seamlessly assess, transfer, and treat young people requiring help.

Included in the grant is a contribution of £405,000 to support a three-year programme of Arts in Health activities and therapeutic interventions, as well as digital interventions to provide the best possible support services for young people.

Best For You launched in November 2021, spearheaded by three NHS Trusts in the North West London Integrated Care System (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and West London NHS Trust) and the charity CW+. This core partnership has brought together a coalition of community, tech and voluntary sector organisations to establish this new model of mental health care for young people and their families.

Chris Chaney, the Chief Executive of CW+, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation for its generous gift to help create the Rapid Assessment Unit, which is an essential part of our Best For You programme. The Foundation’s support of this new unit and the Best For You programme will allow us to respond quickly to the urgent needs of young people in mental health crisis and help them to achieve the best possible outcomes.’

Mavis Khoo, Chairman of Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation, said: ‘My late father Khoo Teck Puat supported a spectrum of charitable and philanthropic causes based on community values. Khoo Teck Puat UK Foundation is pleased to continue his vision by contributing towards deserving causes in the areas of healthcare and medical needs.  Mental health devastates not only the person but those currently living with them.  We wish you and the team at CW+ the very best for the proposed programmes to improve the care for the young patients, their caregivers and families.’

View the Best for You website here.