South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has given an update on the progress of the £110m site redevelopment of Tolworth Hospital.
With the whole site development announced in February 2018 and the groundbreaking in March 2025, the Trust has now provided a progress update on the Tala Building, a year into the process.
The building is now looking well into development, with many external facades in place. Active construction is still ongoing, but contributing teams have now been given tours of the areas taking shape to see the progress.
This two-story, five-ward, 90-bed building is now expected to open in 2028, with many existing, old, and unused buildings demolished to make way for the building.
These five wards will be used to host acute and older patients. In the update video, Ava from the Patient Involvement Network expressed the importance of a modern environment, and says that the bedrooms are going to have ensuites
The Tala Building is part of the Better Environments Programme, which is a £280 million major infrastructure and modernisation initiative led by the South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. Its core objective is to replace outdated psychiatric facilities with state-of-the-art, therapeutic mental health environments while simultaneously integrating these hospital sites directly into the local community to break down the social stigma of mental illness.
Who are the contractors on the Tolworth Hospital redevelopment?
The main contractor for the £110m Tolworth Hospital redevelopment is Sir Robert McAlpine, with the lead architecture firm being Ryder Architecture.
When talking about the design, Ryder explained that they "focused on delivering a lean, open design to maximise the budget and give the Trust as much flexibility as possible to adapt it as healthcare standards evolve".
The project is being led and delivered by STEP (Springfield & Tolworth Estate Partnership), a joint venture between Sir Robert McAlpine Capital Ventures and Kajima Partnerships.
Several other specialised contractors and construction partners are working on the site. These include:
- JP Dunn Construction, which was appointed to handle groundworks, reinforced concrete frames, and external works
- Patrick Ryan Associates, which is leading the project's façade design and consultancy
- Britplas, which is delivering façade and secure window systems, curtain walling, and composite cladding
- Walsh Associates, which is providing civil and structural engineering services
In line with government and NHS Trust requirements, Walsh explained that it has collaborated with the team on net-zero carbon and MMC assessments, helping the Trust choose the optimal scheme and construction approach whilst meeting the brief.
