Epsom and St Helier hospitals are aiming for semi-independent foundation trust status, even though uncertainty remains as to what will happen to hospitals in South West London after May's General Election.

In an interview with the Epsom Guardian, the trust's chief executive Daniel Elkeles said the hospitals had been given the green light by the NHS to move towards Foundation Trust (FT) status in the last fortnight.

The move would give the trust greater independence within the NHS, allow it to borrow money and stave off being forced into future mergers.  Critics say FT status is a step towards a two-tier semi-privatised system with hospitals freer to pursue income from private patients.

Mr Elkeles said: "It is no guarantee we will get to the end of the FT status journey.

"But being given the permission to start means we have a future."

A five-year strategy, to be voted on by the trust's board at a public meeting tomorrow, will see it "absolutely committed" to keeping accident and emergency, paediatric and maternity services at both hospitals and Mr Elkeles said the trust "will break even by hook or by crook" by the end of the month.

He said: "All the talk about Epsom and St Helier needing to lose their services has gone away.

"People don’t have to worry in the next few years about putting out the placards because the trust board will hopefully be absolutely committed to keeping both sites open."

Hospital buildings will also be improved with £10m to £15m a year for the next five years as Mr Elkeles believes the "weakness of the buildings" at Epsom and St Helier have put them in the firing line in previous hospital reviews.

He acknowledged both hospitals face challenges, spending £30m a year on agency workers to cover huge staff shortages with 200 posts to be recruited this year.

Mr Elkeles said: "Probably the most important thing we want to get out of our five year plan is people can feel they can work at Epsom and St Helier.

"People are saying 'why should I come to work at Epsom and St Helier if you don't know if you have a future?"

The chief executive, from Ashtead, said that while achieving FT status is not a "foregone conclusion", he believes it will be a "motivating factor" for staff and provide "certainty and stability".

But the trust will need to start making a financial surplus to achieve FT status, which Mr Elkeles said would be "hard".

Asked how purse-holders Surrey Downs Clinical Commissioning Group's (SDCCG) £10.7m deficit affected his plans, Mr Elkeles said they were "working together to find a sustainable solution".

Miles Freeman, chief officer of SDCCG, told this newspaper in December that Epsom Hospital would need to make major efficiency savings to help the CCG address its deficit.

This week, he said SDCCG supported the trust moving towards FT status.

The Better Services Better Value (BSBV) review of South West London hospitals, which at one point suggested downgrading both Epsom and St Helier, was scrapped last February.

Mr Elkeles admitted another NHS review could come along after May's election "because the problem it's trying to solve hasn't gone away".

He said the trust's commitment to achieving FT status and its five-year strategy will show "Epsom and St Helier is no longer where you look to for the solution".

John Lister, of campaign group London Health Emergency, said the situation was "not as favourable" as Mr Elkeles said.

Mr Lister said a new five year strategy, South West London Collaborative Commissioning (SWLCC), announced last May and drawn up by influential CCGs in Sutton, Kingston, Merton, Wandsworth, Croydon and Richmond, pointed to continued uncertainty.

According to this plan, Epsom and St Helier hospital trust, as well as Croydon, Kingston and St George's hospitals would have to make £360m worth of savings.

Mr Lister said: "After the election there will be new pressure to save money to meet this five-year plan by the commissioners.

"The overall situation is still very insecure."

A statement was published yesterday on SWLCC's website, saying the six CCGs behind the strategy wanted to clarify its current status.

They said: "Our position has not changed.

"We have put forward a strategy for the local NHS which makes clear our belief that a south west London wide solution will be needed to make sure local people have high quality, sustainable services.

“We are discussing with local trusts and others in south west London the best way to implement our strategy and meet the standards it sets.

"No site specific proposals have been developed yet.”

Epsom's Conservative MP Chris Grayling said that while FT status did not protect Epsom and St Helier hospital trust from another review down the line, it was a "big step", giving the hospitals operational independence.

He said: "I am cautiously optimistic.

"We need to give health services locally some stability."

Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington, agreed and said FT status "provides a degree of protection from proposals which are London-wide" but not a guarantee.

The trust's board meeting will be held tomorrow, Friday, March 27, at 9.30am at St Helier Hospital.