1 December 2025

The Swedish Psychiatric Association (Svenska psykiatriska föreningen, SPF), a professional organization for Swedish psychiatrists, represents approximately 1,000 members, most of whom are psychiatrists and psychiatry residents in Sweden. SPF’s activities include publishing, international collaboration, and organising the annual Swedish Psychiatry Congress, which alternates between Stockholm and Gothenburg as host cities.

It is also worth noting that the upcoming World Psychiatry Congress will take place in Stockholm on 23–26 September 2026, with the SPF serving as the host organisation.

As the SPF delegation was travelling to London to attend the ISAD 2025 Regional Meeting, hosted by the Centre for Affective Disorders (CfAD), they arranged a study visit to the St Charles Hospital Mental Health Centre to gain an overview of psychiatric services within CNWL, and more broadly across London and the UK.

After welcoming the Board of the SPF, they held their Board meeting at the St Charles Hospital Mental Health Centre. The team later convened for a joint session, during which they engaged in a lively discussion about various aspects of psychiatric services, comparing clinical practice and organisational context in the UK and Sweden. The Swedish delegation was particularly interested in learning about emergency psychiatric services, the number of inpatient beds, and the similarities and differences in legislation regarding involuntary hospitalisation.

Following the joint session, the delegation received an overview of the wider structure of psychiatric services across Kensington & Chelsea, including acute inpatient care, community mental health teams, rehabilitation pathways, and the interface with primary care. The group undertook a guided tour of key clinical areas within the St Charles site, meeting members of the clinical and managerial teams and gaining insight into operational structures and the shared challenges faced by both UK and Swedish services in balancing demand, resources, and patient experience.

The delegation also visited and explored the function and operational model of the Mental Health Crisis Assessment Service (MHCAS) at St Charles, a service designed to provide rapid assessment, short-term stabilisation, and safe diversion away from unnecessary inpatient admissions. The MHCAS team outlined how the service operates as a 24/7 alternative to the traditional Emergency Department pathway, enabling timely access to senior clinical decision-makers and ensuring that patients receive focused psychiatric assessment without the delays often encountered in general hospital settings.

The visit concluded with reflections from both sides on the future of urgent psychiatric care, the potential role of crisis-assessment models internationally, and opportunities for ongoing collaboration and exchange of practice between our services.