The Psychiatric Intensive Care (PIC) Governance Network is a practical measure supporting the National Minimum Standards. It delivers a dynamic framework to provide users, clinicians, managers and commissioners with a structure to deliver high quality services. The Network concentrates upon four specific themes: responding to emergencies, multidisciplinary working, user/carer involvement and diversity. The inaugural year (2004–2005) was funded through the National Institute of Mental Health, England (NIMHE) and individual participating organisations and was a collaboration between NIMHE, North East London Mental Health NHS Trust (NELMHT) and the National Association of Psychiatric Intensive Care Units (NAPICU). This document outlines progress of the Network; it's developmental history, process, content and conclusions.

Most participating units were able to show benefits not only from success of a specific project (many chose a project with a user focus) but also within other areas. The most successful unit teams not only showed commitment but also adhered to their project plan, meeting regularly outside of learning set days in order to progress work.