AN MP has called for the reformation of a campaign group to protect the future of Epsom Hospital.
Ashtead's Chris Grayling has written to voters in his Epsom and Ewell constituency to tell them he will be reconvening the Epsom Hospital Campaign, a group of councillors, MPs, businesses, and patient groups.
The future of the hospital is in doubt after a plan to merge with Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust fell through in October.
"There are many different pressures and changes within healthcare at the moment generally, and it is obviously important that patients get the best possible treatment," said Mr Grayling, who holds the post of Lord Chancellor.
"However, I do not accept that it is impossible in today's world for a small hospital to continue to do many things for its local community."
It was announced in December 2010 that Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust could not reach foundation trust status, now a requirement for all trusts, and would have to merge with another.
But concerns over Epsom's finances resulted in NHS London pull the plug on the proposed merger, and it has now disbanded the "transaction board" working on Epsom's future.
Mr Grayling said: "My frustration is that a process of eighteen months of discussion that looked to be on track to deliver a good solution for the future of Epsom has been unnecessarily abandoned on the basis of what appears now to be incorrect financial analysis.
He added: "I strongly disagree with the NHS decision to halt the process that they have been going through, and I asked them earlier this week not to disband the team that has been working on the future of Epsom.
"Unfortunately they have not agreed to do so."
In a letter to NHS London chief executive Ruth Carnall, seen by the Advertiser, Mr Grayling expressed his concern that the failure of the merger could result in acute services being removed from Epsom.
He wrote: "I cannot stress how strongly the public in the Epsom area would react if that were to happen.
"It would leave a huge and unacceptable gap in provision across a wide area."
A spokesman for NHS London said Ms Carnall had met with Mr Grayling on Monday evening, had an "open and useful" discussion with him, and that conversations were ongoing.
