A health minister said any plans to close or downgrade hospitals in south-west London are a matter for local health services, not him.
In an answer to a parliamentary question from Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey, Mike O'Brien, a junior health minister, said the reconfiguration of health services was a matter for NHS London.
He said: "NHS staff brief ministers on their local reconfiguration plans in order to support parliamentary business and do so as necessary.
"Ministers also meet routinely with chief executives and chairmen of strategic health authorities to discuss plans for service change."
Mr Davey is seeking more evidence to add to his claim that senior NHS executives have told him a review of health services across south-west London was looking seriously at closing both the maternity and accident and emergency units at Kingston.
Tories say the Liberal Democrats are exaggerating the potential threat resulting from the Healthcare for South-west London Review, for political gain.
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