Sutton and Cheam MP and care services minister Paul Burstow has said the NHS's arguments to close an accident and emergency and maternity unit from a south west London hospital - potentially St Helier - are not convincing.

NHS south west London yesterday announced proposals to close an A&E and maternity unit at either St Helier, St George's, Kingston, and Croydon University hospitals.

It is likely the units will go from the same hospital.

Sutton and Cheam MP and Minister of State for Care Services Paul Burstow said: "I have grave doubts about the process. Announcing plans to close an A&E and maternity unit are bound to scare people. The case for change has not been made.

"We know that too many people with long term health problems wind up in hospital as emergency cases. Yet with the right support those same people can dramatically cut their A&E attendances and have a better quality of life. The same is true for many older people.

"Local NHS bosses have failed to make a convincing case. What's worse even if they were right their poor handling of this announcement has tainted the conclusions."

Concerns are mounting St Helier could be the hospital to face the cuts.

Of the four hospitals, only St Helier would not be "financially viable" in three years, an NHS London study, The Acute Hospitals in London: Sustainable and Financially Effective report, found last month.

St Helier's plan to become a foundation trust was thrown into disarray last month when St George's Hospital withdrew its bid to merge with it.

Geoff Martin, from Merton and Sutton TUC, and health watchdog London Health Emergency, said he long suspected, that St Helier Hospital had been set up for closure.

"We will continue to fight this cynical destruction of our local hospital."

"This is a hammer blow for both jobs and services and shows that we have been systematically lied to about the future of our hospital."