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We are proud to support Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, which runs from 12–18 May. Led by the Mental Health Foundation, their chosen theme for this year “Community” offers a powerful reminder that connection, belonging, and mutual support are fundamental to our mental wellbeing.

Patients and staff at Ellis Ward, Tolworth Hospital, recently celebrated the opening of a brand-new garden space. It provides a calm, welcoming area designed to support wellbeing and recovery.

As our Trust marked the start of Tolworth Hospital’s £110m redevelopment, voices from those at the heart of mental health care took centre stage. Among the speakers at our groundbreaking ceremony last month were Ava and Howard Mintz, long-standing members of the Trust’s Lived Experience Network. Their presence reflected the Trust’s commitment to co-production and the vital role that patients and carers continue to play in shaping compassionate, patient-centred care in South West London.

This Patient Experience Week is a chance to recognise the strength and hope that personal journeys bring to mental health care. At our Trust, we know that shared experiences with someone who understands helps many in their journey to recovery. 

Our colleagues are working in lots of different ways to provide better care for our patients. To do this, we all need to make sure we are working towards the four principles of the Adult Patient Journey. Burntwood Villas rehabilitation service cares for people who may have spent a long time in inpatient services. It is designed to empower people to live as independently as possible before they rejoin the community.

In order to provide better care to our patients, clinicians are working in lots of different ways to tackle our challenges and working in line with the four principles of the Adult Patient Journey – that care:

• Is purposeful
• Avoids crisis
• Is timely and least restrictive
• I s recovery focused

The bank holiday can be a welcome break for many, but for others, it may feel isolating, overwhelming, or emotionally challenging, especially when usual routines are disrupted, and many services are closed. If you’re struggling with your mental health this Easter bank holiday, you are not alone. Here’s how to find help and support during the long weekend.

From Saturday 3 May 2025, extended bus routes will support improved transport and access for staff, patients and visitors travelling to and from Springfield Hospital, as well as residents of the new Springfield Village.

South West London and St George’s made a further public commitment to active anti-racism last month by signing the  Unison anti-racism charter  during its March Board Meeting.

A patient who went missing while on leave has now been safely returned to Springfield Hospital following an appeal for information shared by the police. 

Enter the ballot and let the adventure begin! The 2026 TCS London Marathon opened today Friday 25 April and closes on Friday 2 May 2025. The winners are drawn at random, so everyone has an equal shot – it's all about the luck of the draw. If you're successful, you'll secure a coveted spot in the next TCS London Marathon.

At our Trust, our peer support workers and lived experience practitioners help shape and deliver high-quality mental health services. Collaborating closely with clinical teams, crisis cafés, the Recovery College, and voluntary sector partners, they help to ensure that care is compassionate, person-centred, and informed by lived experience. In this Q&A, we speak with Freweini, one of our lived experience practitioners, to explore the value of lived experience in mental health services and how her role contributes to recovery and well-being for both individuals and the wider community.

We’re proud to launch a new, co-designed campaign aimed at reducing incidents of violence and aggression across our Trust. At the heart of the campaign is a clear and meaningful message: treating each other with kindness and respect. Colleagues told us how important it is to feel valued, respected, and safe at work—and this campaign reflects those voices. It reminds us all that just as we care deeply for our patients, we too deserve to be treated with care and kindness.

Last week, the spiritual and pastoral care team invited service users, colleagues, and visitors to join the late celebrations at Springfield Hospital.

Xinyu Yao has been named as the next recipient of the Trust’s Exceptional People Award, having been selected as the February 2025 winner. Xinyu works in the Procurement Team as a Buyer and joined the Trust in April 2024 after previously working in the fashion industry.

Following last week’s ‘groundbreaking’ ceremony, the £110m redevelopment of Tolworth Hospital in Kingston has begun. One important task remains – naming our new building! The name will give the building a distinct identity, helping establish it as a modern facility equipped to support local people for many years to come. The winning entry will be announced later this year. 

We’re pleased to announce that South West London and St George’s have been awarded £296,051 to install solar panels at Tolworth Hospital.