Complex care provider Active Care Group has opened a new nine-bed female Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Holybourne Hospital in South London following an investment of more than £2m.
Hampton Ward is the provider’s first dedicated female PICU service and will provide care for women experiencing an acute mental health crisis who require a higher level of treatment and support than can be provided on a general mental health ward.
The new unit has been developed in response to demand for specialist female psychiatric intensive care, with limited local capacity meaning some women have to travel outside their local area to access appropriate care.
An NHS England snapshot from July 2025 recorded 738 PICU beds across NHS trusts and independent sector providers in England, including 184 in London.
However, the data does not specify how many beds were available specifically for women.
The number of mental health placements where patients were sent out of their local area also increased by 5% between 2024 and 2025, from 5,392 to 5,649, according to the Care Quality Commission.
Hampton Ward adds PICU provision to Holybourne Hospital’s existing acute mental health services, allowing some patients to move to a higher level of care on the same site before stepping down when appropriate.
The ward has nine private en-suite bedrooms, dedicated therapy rooms and shared spaces designed to accommodate different sensory and therapeutic needs.
Bedrooms feature dimmable, colour-changing lighting, while individual televisions and ceiling-mounted speakers provide options for entertainment and therapeutic activities including music therapy.
Women with lived experience of mental health services were consulted during the development of the ward.
A seven-day therapeutic programme will run alongside specialist psychiatric and nursing care, covering areas including managing distress, emotional regulation, relationships, sensory grounding, healthy routines and recognising early signs of becoming unwell.
The programme includes Dialectical Behaviour Therapy-informed approaches, art psychotherapy, music therapy, dance and movement therapy, physical activity and supported leisure.
“Our investment of over £2 million is about more than increasing capacity. Hampton Ward has been developed around trauma-informed principles, bringing together the physical environment, high-quality facilities, innovative technology, specialist clinical expertise and therapeutic care to support women towards recovery,” said Keith Browner, Chief Executive Officer at Active Care Group.
