[4] In 2020 it was announced that a new emergency care facility is to be built in Sutton as part of a £500 million project with six core services moved to the new site.

[7] In 2022 it was reported that the date had been put back to until at least 2027 because the trust was still “waiting for feedback” on the next steps and funding of the project from central government.

Dr Ruth Charlton, the trust's joint medical director, who leads on the Epsom site, added: "It's excellent news to see our ongoing commitment to our patients' safety is really paying off.

A spokesman for the Epsom and St Helier trust responded by saying they "actively pursue overpayments via debt collection agencies who have demonstrated a very successful recovery rate.

Chief executive Daniel Elkeles had given assurances that accident and emergency, maternity and children's services would be safe on both sites for the next five years.