Community comes together to mark progress at Barnes Hospital redevelopment
Nearly 100 people from across Richmond came together at Barnes Hospital this week to celebrate a year of progress on the site’s multimillion pound redevelopment.
Patients, carers, neighbours, local residents, community representatives, programme partners and local authority colleagues joined NHS staff on the construction site, highlighting the strong sense of community that continues to shape the transformation.
The event marked an important milestone in the £30 million redevelopment, which will deliver a new NHS outpatient mental health facility for local community mental health services, alongside a specialist school for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Investing in our future
Over the past year, significant progress has been made on site and construction is now well underway, with the new facilities scheduled to open in autumn 2027.
Once complete, the development will provide modern, therapeutic environments for community mental health services alongside a 90-place specialist school run by the Beckmead Trust. Together, these facilities will improve access to care and education closer to home, while creating a more welcoming, inclusive space that is integrated with the local community.
The redevelopment is part of our Trust’s Better Communities Programme which is delivering an investment of over £280m in healthcare environments across South West London, with a focus on improving patient experience, supporting recovery and helping to reduce stigma around mental ill health.
Celebrating progress and looking ahead
Commenting on the event, Vanessa Ford, Chief Executive of South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust, said:
We have really enjoyed bringing our community, patients, carers and staff together today to celebrate this innovative development.
Our transformation of Barnes Hospital is creating modern, therapeutic facilities for generations of patients and carers. More than buildings, it is about creating a new community here at Barnes, bringing our services closer to those we serve, and breaking down the enduring stigma around mental illness to empower local people to access care in modern, welcoming environments.
Thank you to everyone who is helping to bring this shared vision to life.
Councillor Piers Allen, Chair of Richmond Council’s Adult Social Services, Health and Housing Committee, also reflected on the importance of the milestone, said:
This is an important milestone for Richmond. Modern facilities play a vital role in delivering high-quality mental health care, and it’s exciting to see this investment taking shape.
The redevelopment will help ensure residents can access excellent care in facilities specifically designed around their needs.
Creating better environments
The redevelopment of Barnes Hospital forms part of a broader vision to provide high-quality, accessible care across Richmond. Alongside improvements at Barnes, investment in facilities such as the Richmond Royal Wellbeing Centre, which opened in May, is also helping to ensure people can access the support they need in modern, welcoming settings.
As the project continues, collaboration with patients, carers, staff and the wider community at Barnes will remain at its heart. To this end, a new community arts programme has recently been launched as part of the redevelopment, bringing together patients, carers, NHS staff, local residents and artists to co-create artwork for the new facilities.
The programme is designed to reflect the local area and help create a welcoming, inclusive environment within the new buildings, supporting wellbeing and contributing to the ambition to reduce stigma around mental health.
Find out more about the redevelopment of Barnes Hospital at the partners website: Barnes Hospital Redevelopment
