Epsom and Ewell Borough Council has called for Epsom and St Helier Hospitals to split - an option that has already been discounted as unworkable.

The council has declared its support for the demerger of Epsom and St Helier Hospitals, an option supported by all local MPs, but Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust says it is neither clinically or financially viable.

Epsom councillors passed a resolution at the council meeting on Tuesday, July 21, to support the demerger and is calling on the trust to provide details of the investment plans for Epsom General Hospital within the next two months.

It is also calling on the trust to release patient figures so the Denbies Epsom Hospital Trust proposal can be developed. This would involve a huge injection of cash from the charity set up by millionaire businessman Adrian White.

Councillor Chris Long, chairman of the social committee said, "The trust has recently stated that demerger is no longer an option but we want it put back on the table, alongside the other options so that residents can judge the viability of the demerger proposal.”

But not all councillors agree with the council resolution.

Councillor Jonathan Lees, hospital spokesman for the Council’s Lib Dem group said: “Local people should bear in mind that a great deal of information about options for the future of Epsom Hospital is due to be published by the trust in the next few months.

“It is premature and very risky to take a stand calling for the 'demerger' option at this moment in time, without knowing all the pros and cons of the other options. A different form of separation may be a better way of protecting local services."

The options formally under consideration by Epsom and St Helier Trust are status quo, divestment and demerger. Status quo means keeping the two hospitals linked, demerger means a split while divestment means St Helier and Epsom linking with other hospitals in London and Surrey respectively.

But in a statement the trust said:”Our work to-date suggests that both Epsom and St Helier hospitals would be in potentially vulnerable positions should a decision be made to split up the current Trust into two new stand-alone organisations.

“A full demerger would require significant extra investment. For example, additional staff would be needed to run separate rotas, and an additional trust board – as well as extra executive directors and managers – would be needed to run Epsom Hospital.

“At a time when public finances can be predicted to be under increasing pressure, it is highly unlikely that a decision to set up two new demerged organisations would receive the necessary approval.”

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