Epsom's MP is organising a public meeting to discuss the future of threatened Epsom Hospital.

The meeting will be held on February 7 at Blenheim High School, in Epsom and Chris Grayling is encouraging all residents and campaigners to attend.

In an email to constituents this week, Mr Grayling laid out his key arguments against the "unbelievably insensitive" approach he says has been taken by the BSBV programme board - which announced last Wednesday, January 9, that two A&E and maternity units would be axed from across Epsom, St Helier, Kingston and Croydon hospitals.

He said: "The idea of closing acute services at both Epsom and St Helier seems completely unrealistic.

"It would leave a gap in provision running from St George’s to Guildford, and in the case of maternity, where there are 4,500 births across the two hospitals, it would require other hospitals to absorb the equivalent of a large maternity unit in a major hospital.

"I want the future of Epsom to be decided in a Surrey context, and not a London one.

"Since we now know that the financial position at Epsom is not nearly as bad as was suggested a couple of months ago, I think the process of splitting Epsom from St Helier and looking at Epsom’s future in that context should restart.

"It is very obvious that our own local doctors should have the main input in what happens. And yet the provisional recommendations have been put forward without them even having the chance to have their say.

"I have therefore written to all of our local GPs to ask them their views on the future of Epsom, so we can put those to the Better Services Better Value team.

"If a good majority of our local doctors say they want to see changes, we will have to listen to them.  But at the moment things seem to be moving ahead without them even having the chance to express their views."

The public meeting will be held at 7pm on Thursday, February 7, in the main hall at Blenheim High School, in Longmead Road.