Responding to the statement on new hospitals made in the House of Commons today by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, the Leader of the London Borough of Merton, Councillor Ross Garrod said: “In light of today’s announcement, the position of the council and the communities we serve remains the same – vital services including the A&E department, maternity and paediatrics must be kept at St Helier Hospital.
“Urgent investment is needed now to fix the poor state of repair that the St Helier Hospital buildings are in, so that hardworking NHS staff can care for the patients who rely on these vital services at our much-loved community hospital.”

On Monday, the London Borough of Merton announced that it will commission an independent assessment of plans to move vital services away from St Helier Hospital – after Government ministers ignored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on admissions and waiting times.

St Helier Hospital was one of the first in the country to receive patients with COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic. Hospitalisation and mortality rates due to the virus were highest among residents living in the diverse areas of the borough closest to St Helier Hospital. Three years on, bed occupancy rates continue to rise as ambulances queue outside the A&E department, where patients face long waits for treatment