Inside Tala – Visiting our newest hospital one year on from groundbreaking
Staff at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust were given an exclusive first look inside Tala building, our new space at Tolworth Hospital.
One year after breaking ground, the visit marked an exciting next step in our £110m redevelopment at Tolworth, which will create five new state-of-the-art wards, having previously taken colleagues around the site in December 2025.
Julia Topp, Consultant (Jasmines Ward): ‘I’m really impressed by the amount of thought that has gone into the design and construction of this building.’
Staff visiting were able to see the huge progress already made, including the layout of wards and rooms, the number of courtyards gardens and the spaces planned for staff and wider community.
Talking about the visit, Sarah Adams, Clinical and Operational Delivery Lead for Better Environments said: ‘I think it is really important to host these visits, especially with clinicians weve worked with since the beginning, as they can see how their input is turning inti something very real for their patients. They get that positive feedback loop that their ideas are genuinely being built into the project and design and the future of our Trust.’
The visit could not be made possible without Master Developer Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM) providing inviting us. Leigh Draper, Project Director (SRM): ‘It’s just brilliant to be able to show colleagues their future work location and the place that they will care for and support patients for years to come. It’s really nice to hear Sarah explain the building, as it brings to life the structure that we are constructing.’
Isabelle Whitaker, Occupational Therapist (Kingston IRH) ‘It is amazing to see the progress being made – it’s a really incredible building. Having Leigh and Sarah able to answer questions about the construction, and all of the patient engagement, planning and technical considerations is fantastic. Others should come on the next tour in the summer of they can!’
Transforming our environments
Our Better Environments Programme is developing a bold new landscape for local mental health services that opens up our hospital sites to the community, breaks down mental health stigma, and brings our services closer to the people we serve. Find out more about our plans for Tolworth.
Summer tour – register your interest!
If you would like to be invited onto our Summer Tala Tour – please use the comment box below and we will get in touch when we have a new date confirmed.
