Concerns have been raised over the prospect of Epsom Hospital’s stroke unit facing closure, although Surrey Stroke Change Board and Epsom Downs CCG maintain no decision has been made.

Across Surrey, stroke services are currently being reviewed and one proposal is to transfer services from Epsom to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill.

This is partly because it treats fewer than the nationally-recommended 600 patients per year, although a Royal College of Physicians report in 2013 showed it to be in the top 25 per cent of UK stroke units.

However, at a public meeting on Tuesday in Leatherhead, the board’s chairman, Dr Claire Fuller, said that while options were being discussed, they are not at the stage at which a decision can be made.

Dr Fuller said: "While there are a number of options to consider, right now all we’re doing is holding public meetings across the borough to find out how we can improve stroke treatment in Surrey.

Julia Ross, who also heads the Surrey Stroke Change Board, said: "It can be a bit like Chinese whispers; when people hear units may merge they become worried and ‘save our hospital’ campaigns spring up.

"But what I’d say to people who are worried is that no decisions are even close to being made.

"And right now the board’s focus is on delivering better care for the 2,500 people each year in Surrey who suffer strokes."

Some of the stories shared in the meeting highlighted the ‘inequality in services’ across different Surrey hospitals and some of the ‘spine-chilling’ experiences stroke victims have, according to Dr Fuller, speaking after the meeting.

Susie Cope, 46, who had a stroke on holiday in Thailand two years ago, described the ‘disgusting’ level of care she received at East Surrey hospital.

She said: "It was terrible - I was on a ward full of much older people and I couldn’t get any sleep. Not just that, but I didn’t receive speech therapy for a whole three weeks, and I found myself constantly bored.

"It really highlights the unequal care and you wonder how services could improve if you shut a brilliant centre and relocate services to a poor one."

Fellow stroke sufferer, Adrian Kaine, from Ashtead, spent part of his early treatment at Epsom Hospital, describing the ward as ‘fantastic’.

The 66-year-old said: "It was a really good unit, and I can say all the staff - especially the nurses - were brilliant, really friendly and attentive. They were really lovely."

Another major concern expressed was the extra travelling time a move from Epsom could cause, with David Ludlow, from Epsom, saying it would have a ‘potentially huge impact’ on a patient’s wellbeing.

Chris Grayling, MP for Epsom and Ewell, urged the board to keep Epsom’s ‘excellent’ unit open, imploring them not to ‘make changes for the sake of change’.

The leader of the House of Commons said: "Obviously I would never stand against moves which would improve patient care, but they’d have to make a very strong case to persuade me it would be in the patients’ best interest.

"A lot of time things can make sense in theory, but not improve care in practice, and I suspect that to be the case here.

"And if they insist on changes, it’s Epsom that should become the hyper acute centre, because it has a truly excellent record."

If you would like to voice your opinion on the future of stroke care in Surrey, the Stroke Change Board is holding further meetings at North West Surrey CCG, at 58 Church Street in Weybridge at 6pm to 7.30pm tomorrow, and at St Saviour’s Church in Guildford at 6.30 to 8pm on September 22.