Background
Delivering high-quality care is fundamental to what we do as a trust; we committed to develop three new mental health inpatient services in Guildford, Chertsey, and east Surrey because we want our inpatient services to provide the very best in mental health services for our local communities.
Our first hospital at Farnham Road Hospital, Guildford opened in December 2015. Following its completion, our focus moved to the site of the former Abraham Cowley Unit (ACU) on St. Peter’s Hospital campus in Chertsey. There we built Silverwood, our newest mental health inpatient unit, which opened in February 2025. The final new service will be built in the east of the county.
This programme is not just about bricks and mortar; it provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform inpatient mental healthcare for our local population.
Our vision
We want our mental health inpatient services to facilitate that the person, not the condition, is at the heart of their inpatient experience. People who need our services should be able to access the best clinical practice available that promotes a holistic approach to recovery by connecting mind and body, family and friends, community, and the environment.
We will build for the future and create buildings that last the test of time and are sustainable.
- Better inpatient environment – We will provide an environment that is respectful, healing, safe and therapeutic. It will promote privacy and dignity and challenge the stigma of mental health. Comfort, light, and sound will be at the heart of the design.
- Focus on the future – We will provide effective assessment, treatment and high-quality care closely linked to a range of community-orientated mental health care services.
- Embrace innovation – Through innovative design and the use of state-of-the-art digital technology, we will seek to remove barriers to accessing our services and reduce the stigma of mental health care.
- Network and community connections – We will recognise the diversity of our population by building strong local networks that promote the importance of support and family, celebrate community, and contribute to integrated care across Surrey and its borders.
- Creating a compassionate and inclusive workplace - We will create an environment which fosters an inclusive culture where staff can embrace our Trust vision and values. We will treat each other with compassion and kindness.
Consultation
We conducted a public consultation in 2008 to look at the options for building new mental health inpatient services in Surrey. Since then, we have been working with our staff, service users, carers, and local partners to plan and co-design our new mental health inpatient services.
After we completed Farnham Road Hospital, in May 2016, we held three public workshops in Chertsey, Cobham and Redhill, to talk to people about our next mental health development for people in Surrey. Participants were asked, ‘What requirements would a really good new mental health hospital have?’ This question generated lots of discussion and we collated feedback during each event. The themes arising varied between each workshop but included:
- Access to services
- Accessibility/location/transport
- Additional activities for people in hospital
- Engaging people who use our services in design
- Facilities/physical environment
- Joint working: seamless interface with other services
- Staff/clinical culture
- Safety and security
You can read the presentation given at the workshops and the feedback here:
- New mental health hospital workshop presentation
- Feedback from people who attended our workshop at Chertsey Hall, 17 May 2016
- Feedback from people who attended our workshop at The Cobham Curve, 24 May 2016
- Feedback from people who attended our workshop at Redhill Methodist Church, 27 May 2016