Active Care Group have officially opened Hampton Ward, our first dedicated female Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), following an investment of more than £2 million. Located at Holybourne Hospital in Roehampton, the new nine-bed service forms part of our wider specialist mental health offering.

Hampton Ward has been created to support women experiencing an acute mental health crisis who require a more intensive level of treatment and support than can typically be provided on a general mental health ward. The opening builds on our extensive experience of delivering specialist PICU services and reflects our commitment to developing services that meet growing demand for high-quality mental healthcare.

Across the country, access to specialist female PICU beds remains limited, which can mean women are placed far from home and separated from their families, support networks and existing care teams. Hampton Ward has been developed to help address this need by providing specialist care closer to home.

Ahead of opening our doors to our first patients, we hosted an open day on 29 September, welcoming the Mayor of Wandsworth, Councillor Emmeline Owens, alongside local health and care representatives for a tour of the new facility.

The addition of Hampton Ward strengthens the care pathway available at Holybourne Hospital, allowing some women to access a higher level of care on the same site before stepping down into other services as they progress in their recovery.

Designed around women’s needs

Our investment is about far more than increasing capacity. Hampton Ward has been developed around trauma-informed principles, combining specialist clinical expertise, innovative technology, high-quality facilities and therapeutic support in an environment specifically designed for women requiring psychiatric intensive care.

The ward includes nine private en-suite bedrooms, dedicated therapy rooms and shared spaces that can be adapted to individual sensory and therapeutic needs. This includes quieter, low-stimulation areas for women who may benefit from a calmer environment during periods of distress.

Each bedroom features dimmable, colour-changing lighting, enabling women to adjust brightness and colour tones to support relaxation and sensory regulation. Individual televisions and ceiling-mounted speakers provide further opportunities for therapeutic engagement and leisure activities, including music therapy.

Importantly, women with lived experience of mental health services were involved in the development of Hampton Ward, helping to shape how the environment supports those receiving care.

Therapeutic support seven days a week

Alongside specialist psychiatric and nursing care, Hampton Ward offers a seven-day therapeutic programme focused on supporting recovery and building long-term coping strategies.

The programme covers areas including emotional regulation, managing distress, healthy routines, relationships, sensory grounding and recognising the early signs of becoming unwell. Developed in line with NICE guidance and Royal College of Psychiatrists standards, it includes DBT-informed approaches alongside art psychotherapy, music therapy, dance and movement therapy, physical activity and supported leisure opportunities.

All activities are tailored to each woman’s individual needs and readiness to participate.

A significant step forward

Commenting on the opening, Keith Browner, Chief Executive Officer at Active Care Group, said:

“Being admitted to psychiatric intensive care is already an incredibly difficult time in someone’s life. Having to leave the local area can make that experience even harder, separating people from their families, support networks and the professionals already involved in their care.

Hampton Ward creates an important new option for women requiring psychiatric intensive care, while strengthening the wider pathway of care available at Holybourne Hospital.

Our investment of over £2 million is about more than increasing capacity. The service 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.”

Dr Amit Chatterjee, Chief Medical Officer at Active Care Group, added:

“When somebody is experiencing an acute mental health crisis, the environment in which they receive care can influence how safe and settled they feel, as well as their ability to engage with treatment.

These principles have informed the development of Hampton Ward. Care is not focused solely on managing the immediate crisis; therapeutic support can be adapted as each woman’s needs change, helping to develop the skills, confidence and coping strategies needed to support the next stage of their recovery.”

For referral enquiries, please contact our referrals team at acg.referrals@nhs.net.