- Local people asked for views on building new state-of-the-art hospital facility
- Members of the public encouraged to fill in online questionnaire at improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk
- Range of other consultation activities planned including listening events, focus groups, community outreach and telephone surveys
A public consultation has launched today (Wednesday, 8 January) on proposals to improve services at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust.
Members of the public are being asked for their views on three options to invest £500 million of national funding to build a new specialist emergency care hospital – on the Epsom, St Helier or Sutton hospital sites.
The new 21st century hospital facility would bring together six services for the most unwell patients, as well as births in hospital.
The Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Surrey Downs, Sutton and Merton have put forward Sutton as their preferred option for the location of the facility, but are clear that all three options could be delivered.
All three options would see the majority of services (85%) staying at Epsom Hospital and at St Helier Hospital, with an investment of at least £80 million in the current buildings. Both hospitals would run round the clock, 365 days a year, with urgent treatment centres, inpatient and outpatient services.
The consultation ends on Wednesday 1 April 2020 and no decisions will be made on the future of Epsom and St Helier hospitals until the spring or summer when the CCGs will consider the views of local people and all the clinical and financial evidence.
Merton GP and Clinical Chair of NHS Merton CCG Dr Andrew Murray said:
“This £500m investment gives us the chance to develop a brand new 21st century hospital facility for local people for generations to come. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity and we need to make this happen. One thing is clear – if we don’t change how we provide our hospital services, the quality and safety of care for people is going to get worse – we already face a shortage of doctors, and never-ending repair costs for buildings older than the NHS.
“It’s really important that local people look at the evidence and give us their views. Our assessments point to Sutton as the preferred option for a new hospital facility, but the NHS could also deliver a brand new hospital at Epsom or St Helier. I would urge everyone in Surrey Downs, Sutton and Merton to get involved – there are many ways to have your say.”
The decision to launch the consultation was taken on Monday 6 January, you can read more here: improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/health-leaders-give-go-ahead-for-public-consultation-on-500m-investment/
There are many ways for local people to give their views and get involved in the consultation:
- Fill in the questionnaire on our website
- We are planning a range of events including nine listening events. You can find a list on our website (improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/events/), call us on 02038 800 271 send us a text message on 07500 063191.
- We’ll also be actively engaging with affected communities through our consultation activities – including focus groups, telephone surveys, pop-up stalls in busy places, funding voluntary groups to help communities engage with the consultation, as well as targeted outreach work with groups such as older people and deprived communities as well as seldom heard groups like people with learning disabilities.
- You can download the consultation materials from our website (improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk/consultation/key-documents/)
or request hard copies by email or phone – hello@improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk or 02038 800 271.
The local NHS is determined to make sure its consultation plans are as thorough, wide-ranging and transparent as possible. The “Improving Healthcare Together Programme” has been awarded a ‘best practice’ standard for its public consultation plan from an independent organisation called ‘The Consultation Institute’. The consultation documentation has also been approved by the ‘Plain English Society’.
For more information please contact the press office 020 3880 0302 or pressoffice@swlondon.nhs.uk