Epsom hospital

Epsom Hospital upgrade at risk?

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A “crumbling” Surrey hospital trust says it is “cracking on” with plans for a new hospital and upgrades despite concerns the government could scrap a funding plan

Epsom General Hospital and St Helier Hospital had been marked for redevelopment under the previous Conservative governments’ £20bn New Hospital Programme. Regeneration of the health trust included a new emergency hospital in Sutton, South London, as well as much-needed facility upgrades. 

But Labour’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last week she would review big hospital and road projects to fix a £22bn black hole in public finances. Although details are yet to be confirmed, the review will look into the previous government’s plan to build 40 new hospitals by 2030. 

Helen Maguire, Liberal Democrat MP for Epsom and Ewell, said her constituents “cannot wait any longer” for the investment.  Described as “crumbling”, “dilapidated” and “not fit for 21st century healthcare” in previous national reporting, the buildings at both the St Helier complex in Carshalton and the Epsom site are in dire need of repair. 

If the funding is not forthcoming, Mrs Maguire said she is concerned about the impact on the local staff and patients. “My constituents have been crying out for improvements at Epsom and St Helier and so it is vital that this project must go ahead,” she said.

The new Lib Dem MP said without the upgrade, staff and patients in Epsom, Ewell, Ashtead and Leatherhead would continue having to put up with substandard buildings.

Healthwatch Surrey, a non-profit advocating for locals to get the best of their NHS, claims wellbeing “does not solely lie in the hands of doctors and other frontline staff” but the built environment can also affect patient safety. According to NHS data from 2022/23, estate and infrastructure failures in England disrupted the care of more than 2,600 patients. 

Calling on the government to “protect funding for the new Emergency Care Hospital at Sutton”, Mrs Maguire said the new emergency hospital would relieve pressure on the current sites. She added she was “looking forward” to meeting the Health Secretary to relay the concerns of people in Epsom, Ewell, Ashtead and Leatherhead.

The news comes as another let down for locals after the £219m redevelopment of St Helier hospital promised by the 2010 Conservative-Lib Dem government also came off the rails. Budget cuts and a difficult ‘financial context’ were cited as the reasons at the time.

Most of the buildings at Epsom and St Helier are older than the NHS itself. Staff are reportedly working in areas with damp mould, leaking roofs, and floods. Trying to patch up failing infrastructure and out-of-date facilities is unsustainable for any hospital. 

“Our ageing buildings are not fit for purpose,” said a spokesperson for Epsom and St Helier Hospital NHS Trust. They said: “We’re cracking on with plans for a new hospital and upgrades to our existing sites while this review takes place.”

Plans include building a new Specialist Emergency Care Hospital in Sutton, where the sicker patients would have access to high quality care in state-of-the-art facilities. The Trust also plans to invest in Epsom and St Helier hospitals, where 85 per cent of patients will continue to receive care.

The spokesperson added: “We continue to make significant progress, from detailed pre-planning application discussions, to refining designs of the new hospital, bringing us closer to a state-of-the-art facility that our patients and staff deserve.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the previous government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 is “undeliverable and unaffordable”. The funding allocated by the previous government runs out in March.

They said: “We must reset the New Hospital Programme to put it on a sustainable footing, following persistent delays and cost overruns.” The Department of Health and Social Care is launching a full review of the programme to provide a “thorough, costed and realistic timeline for delivery”.

The spokesperson added: “We can replace the crumbling hospital estate in England. This government is determined to be honest with people about what can be delivered, and not let them down again.”

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