A £215m plan to reshape health services in Sutton and Merton has passed the first stage of approval.

The proposals to invest in St Helier Hospital and four new local care centres was passed by the boards of Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust this week.

The plans, which include investment in intermediate care services for people who don’t need to go to hospital or who need rehabilitation after a hospital stay, will now go to NHS London for rubber-stamping.

Under the scheme St Helier Hospital would remain the major hospital for the two boroughs, complete with its 24 hour A&E department and range of inpatient services.

It would also be rebuilt at a cost of about £140m to provide better care for patients, including 50 per cent single rooms to give patients greater privacy.

The cost of building the new local care centres has been put at £57m, with the intermediate care centre around £12m.

Over half of all outpatient work would move to the new local care centres – at the Nelson Hospital, the Wilson Hospital, Shotfield Health Centre and at St Helier Hospital, where a range of outpatient, diagnostic and clinical services would be established.

A £5m urgent care centre for non-emergency patients would also be made.

Sutton and Merton PCT chief executive Bill Gillespie said: “We have listened carefully to local people and they have made it clear they want more care provided closer to where they live.

“We believe these proposals will give Sutton and Merton residents a network of care that will provide much better treatment close to where they live, while enhancing and developing the services of an excellent local hospital.

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust chief executive Samantha Jones said: “These plans will help us to further improve the services that we give to local people, in particular making sure that they receive safe, high quality care in a clean and welcoming environment that is easy to access from their own homes.”

If approved by NHS London phased developments will begin between 2010 and 2017.

A copy of the summary business case is available at betterhealthcare.org.uk

• For more information about local hospitals, go to our Local Information section here