The fate of St Helier Hospital has been left in the hands of 21 delegates, three of whom are from Merton and were selected behind closed doors.

Merton’s Clinical Commissioning group (CCG) has put forward three of its members to represent the views of the borough at a crunch meeting next month.

The meeting will decide if controversial proposals to close accident and emergency and maternity wards at Epsom and St Helier hospitals should  go out for public consultation.

Clare Gummett, the board’s lay member and patient and public engagement lead, Dr Geoff Hollier, the board’s GP clinical member and Professor Stephen Powis, a secondary care consultant, have been trusted with representing the views of Merton.

The controversial proposals will be discussed at a joint meeting of delegates from all seven CCGs. believed to be scheduled for June 12.

At this meeting all 21 delegates will have the chance to block the proposals, or allow them to move forward to a public consultation.

A spokesperson for the Merton CCG said: "The proposal to appoint three members of the governing body to a committee was discussed at a private meeting of the governing body on May 16, before the public part of the meeting and as our CCG constitution allows.

"The governing body discussed who would be most appropriate to send, and three names were proposed.

"Our clinical chair, Dr Howard Freeman, asked if there were any members not in favour of the proposals and none were."

They added: "Dr Hollier was chosen by the GP membership of the CCG to represent and feed in their views to the governing body.

"He will therefore be able to make sure that GP views on BSBV are put forward."

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McDonagh: Public have been treated with "utmost condescension"

MP for Mitcham and Morden, Siobhain McDonagh, said holding the public consultation, should it go ahead as planned over the summer holidays, would be "completely unreasonable."

She said: "Our community campaigns rely on people doing stuff for us on a voluntary basis and using local community venues, all of which are hard over the summer holidays.

She added: "I think that we the public and we the council have been treated with the utmost condescension.

"So often the public see what people in these services can't see.

"How can it be that three people from a committee have the power to make the decision that is going to cost millions and impact millions of people?"