The Health Secretary has announced that a new hospital building in neighbouring Sutton now faces years of delays with construction not expected to start until 2032 at the earliest despite patient admissions in Epsom last year.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Helen Maguire slammed the decision, describing the government’s lack of ambition for health services in Epsom & Ewell as “shocking”, and called on Ministers to release the full impact of the decision to delay the project so that people could see “just how at risk patients here are”. 

Research by the Liberal Democrats has found that at Epsom General Hospital, £44m worth of repairs are now needed with 46% of those being identified as ‘high risk’ repairs.

Repairs labeled as high risk are ones where failure to urgently address repairs could lead to serious injury and major disruption to services.

Helen Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom & Ewell, said:

“People here in Epsom & Ewell have had what was promised to us ripped away. We were told that this building would rescue our local health services, instead we will now have to put up with years of delays without the quality of care we desperately need.

“The previous Conservative government has shown utter contempt for our community, making promises they never intended to keep. The new government’s lack of ambition to deliver on what was pledged is equally shocking. 

“Not only that but we have been left in the dark as to what the consequences will be for people in Epsom & Ewell. The Health Secretary must publish the full impact assessment on what this delay means for our area and just how at risk patients here are.”