Merton Council vote against hospital plans

Merton Council oppose the IHT decision

Merton Council’s scrutiny panel last night (21st July 2020) voted to refer back to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care the decision to move acute services from St Helier and Epsom Hospitals to a new Sutton site.

Merton have consistenly opposed the plans to downgrade St Helier and move acute services to a Sutton site, as have the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, Siobhan McDonagh, a long time supporter of St Helier Hospital, the local Labour parties in Carshalton and Wallington (where St Helier is situated) and Sutton and Cheam, and Trade Unions representing hospital workers

The Councils' Scrutiny Committee was not positive in its published response to the Consultation. Merton were not the only council with serious reservations about the decision

Of the 6 Councils represented on the Committee by the end of the Consultation period, (Croydon, Kingston, Surrey, Sutton, Merton, Wandsworth) only ONE, Wandsworth supported the Sutton location unconditionally. Kingston also supported Sutton but with more work required on transport issues, Surrey supported a single site model but felt the assurances it needed to make a decision on location were lacking, and Sutton & Merton supported St Helier as the location. (Croydon's response was unavailable)

Local residents and healthcare campaigners along with the local Labour parties and Trade Unions are now calling on Sutton Council to follow Merton’s lead and refer the decision back to the Secretary of State for reconsideration by the Independent Reconfiguration Panel.

Croydon Council would also be well advised to follow suit and refer back the decision. If the CCGs’ plans go ahead,some of the overspill of acute patients from the new Sutton acute facility will be sent to the already overstretched Croydon Hospital (formerly Mayday) and St George’s Hospital Tooting.