Building for better care - Our new mental health inpatient services
Delivering high quality mental health care and treatment is fundamental to what we do as a Trust. Farnham Road Hospital, Guildford, opened in December 2015, and following its completion, our focus moved to Silverwood, our new mental health inpatient service currently under construction on the former Abraham Cowley Unit (ACU) site on St. Peter’s Hospital campus in Chertsey.
Silverwood due to open in February 2025
We are delighted to confirm that Silverwood is on track to open in February 2025 and construction is now in its final stage. The building’s exterior is complete, and outdoor spaces are taking shape, with landscaping and planting well underway. This month, trees for the woodland walk—a vital outdoor retreat—will be planted, enhancing the therapeutic environment.
Inside, contractors are focused on the final touches, including painting and decorating, and early in the new year, specially selected artwork will be installed. Progress is moving swiftly as we approach the final few weeks, and we remain committed to delivering Silverwood to the highest standards.
As the final construction activities near completion, our efforts have shifted to preparing the building for full operational readiness, ensuring we are set to deliver exceptional care from the moment the doors open. This preparation includes critical tasks such as comprehensive staff training, implementing robust operational protocols, setting up facilities management, and installing and configuring advanced digital equipment.
To ensure seamless operations, we will conduct thorough trials and rigorously test the building’s systems to confirm they are functioning optimally. This meticulous preparatory work will continue right up until Silverwood's opening, ensuring we are ready to meet the needs of both people who use our services and staff from day one.
As Silverwood is still an active construction site, we’re continuing to monitor progress carefully and will be able to share more details about its opening in the new year.
In the meantime, you can see the construction progress in our latest drone footage.
Your chance to view Silverwood before it opens
You're invited to step inside Silverwood before its doors officially open! Join us for one of our Open Days, where you'll have the chance to explore the state-of-the-art building and its therapeutically designed outdoor spaces. Take a guided tour, learn more about what Silverwood will provide, and get answers to any questions you may have.
To book your spot and find out more details please complete the booking form here: Silverwood Open Days - January 2025
Successful recruitment drive makes all the difference
Our preparations for Silverwood remain firmly focused on ensuring a smooth and safe opening, with a strong emphasis on building an exceptional team. Thanks to widespread interest in this exciting new service, strong attendance at job fairs, and successful recruitment open days, we have almost reached all recruitment targets.
We’re thrilled to share that we’ve almost fully recruited for all our Health Care Assistant Band 2 and Band 3 roles, Nurses Band 5s, and Clinical Nurse Specialist positions, and we’re nearly there with our Band 6 nursing roles. We’re still looking to fill two Ward Manager roles and two Occupational Therapy posts. Additionally, administrative roles essential to supporting Silverwood’s operations are actively being advertised.
For those considering a career at Silverwood, this is a fantastic opportunity to join an innovative new inpatient service from the very beginning. You’ll work as part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary team with robust support for career development and progression. As we move closer to opening, we’re eager to welcome the final members of our team!
Silverwood will benefit from the collective expertise provided by existing Surrey and Borders staff, many of whom were redeployed from the ACU closure, alongside a wave of highly skilled new recruits. We're committed to fostering a strong ‘one team’ culture at Silverwood, and to help make that a reality, we've launched an organisational development programme focused on areas such as innovative ways of working and team building designed to unite and empower a one team approach.
For more information on Silverwood’s recruitment opportunities, please visit our careers pages on the Trust's website.
Plans for future inpatient services
When we began our consultation work in 2008 to explore options for new mental health inpatient services in Surrey, the findings highlighted a need for services in Guildford, Chertsey, and East Surrey. Since then, we have successfully built Farnham Road Hospital in Guildford and construction of Silverwood in Chertsey is nearing completion.
The landscape has changed significantly since 2008. We have navigated a global pandemic, witnessed a sharp rise in the scale and severity of mental health needs, and faced increasing challenges with meeting demand amid ongoing budget pressures.
In response, we are reviewing our inpatient demand forecasts and have launched a programme aimed at enhancing crisis support and improving the flow between inpatient and community services. Our immediate priority is to ensure the successful opening of Silverwood. Once this is achieved, we will shift our focus to defining possible future developments for inpatient services, informed by the crisis and flow programme.
Contact us:
If you have any questions, you would like more information or to sign up for an event, please get in touch. You can contact the team at: newhospitals@sabp.nhs.uk