Community hospitals

Surrey Downs Health and Care currently provides beds in three community hospitals in Surrey:

  • Dorking Hospital
  • Molesey Hospital
  • Mary Seacole Unit

We provide 24 hour nursing care for people needing rehabilitation. The aim is to help patients return to living independently, or with care or other support.

Care can include rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as nursing care, such as pain control, wound care and continence assessment. Each hospital has close links with other services, such as social care and District Nursing teams, to ensure that care continues after discharge.

We also provide care for people at the end of their lives, allowing patients to be cared for in their local community hospital, if that is where they choose to be.

All of our hospital wards provide single sex accommodation, including separate bathroom and toilet facilities for our male and female patients. At Mary Seacole Unit we also provide specialist beds for patients with neurological conditions, including stroke.

Visiting and keeping in touch

People can visit their friends and relatives in our Dorking, Moseley and Mary Seacole Unit every day from after breakfast 9am until 8pm.

We ask visitors to avoid lunchtime (12.30pm-1.30pm) and dinner time (5.30pm-6.30pm) so our nursing teams can concentrate on helping patients to eat well.

Please do not visit if you have symptoms of COVID-19, including a:

  • High temperature 

  • New, persistent cough 

  • Loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus you should self-isolate at home and organise a test; members of your household should also self-isolate.

For the latest guidance and advice about Coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/.

If you come to visit a friend or relative there are a few things to be aware of:

  • The medical care of patients comes first so please be aware that some restrictions apply to visiting hours
  • We are happy for children to visit the hospital, but in some areas this may not be possible, please check in advance by calling the ward. 
  • Please do not sit on the beds; sometimes it seems a natural thing to do, especially if the patient is sitting, but it can be an infection risk in a hospital.

'Letters for loved ones' - helping people stay connected

To help families, friends and carers keep in touch, we have set up a ‘Letters for loved ones’ initiative. If a family member, friend or carer would like to write a letter and, if they wish to, include a couple of photographs, they can email esth.lettersforlovedones@nhs.net. They will need to provide the patient’s name and date of birth, and (if they know it) the ward in which they are being cared for.

Our Patient Experience and Partnership Team will print letters and photos received, note who/where they are for, laminate them and ensure they reach the right ward (we will try to make deliveries every day, Monday to Friday). If you have any questions regarding the above or need any help, please call our Patient Experience and Partnership Team on 020 8296 4325 (9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday – please leave a message if we are unable to take your call).