Last September we received the amazing news that the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust were receiving £500 million to build a brand new hospital and improve the existing hospitals, as well as keeping all of the services they currently provide like A&E and maternity.
I spoke about this exciting investment during my maiden speech in Parliament earlier this year. Finally after decades of uncertainty and fears of closure, we now have the investment not just to keep St Helier open, but to drastically improve the building, bring unsafe areas back into use, and to build a third hospital either at St Helier, Epsom or the old Sutton Hospital site to provide acute services for the sickest patients.
Since then, the NHS has been consulting with the public about how they think this investment should be spent and where the new hospital should go. The consultation closed in April which demonstrated the huge local support for building a new hospital and improving services.
Today the governing bodies of NHS South West London and NHS Surrey Heartlands Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) met virtually due to coronavirus social distancing rules to discuss the results of the consultation, consider the business case for the new hospital and decide where it should go. This afternoon they decided to proceed with a new hospital at the old Sutton Hospital site, co-located with the Royal Marsden, which is great news that the new hospital will be right here in our Borough.
I'll be joining neighbouring MPs to speak with the NHS soon about the next steps and when we can start to see the new hospital being built.
You can find out more about these exciting plans by visiting the Improving Healthcare Together website here, or get in touch with them via their contact details below:
- Email: hello@improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk
- Text: 07500 063191
- Call: 02038 800 271