Around 50,000 people in Merton will be affected by plans to move services out of St Helier Hospital.

An independent report commissioned by the Council shows they’ll “be absorbed” by St. George’s, Kingston, and Croydon hospitals.

The report concludes that this will put greater pressure on these sites.

The plans, first proposed in 2019, would see maternity and A&E centralised at a proposed new hospital in Belmont.

The NHS approved plans to build a new specialist emergency hospital in Belmont in Sutton in 2020.

An original date for opening set for 2025 has now been pushed back to 2027 “at the earliest”.