Merton Liberal Democrats have accused the Labour-run council of misleading the public about the true scale of government funding for urgent repairs at St Helier Hospital, a facility facing crumbling infrastructure, flooding and sinking floors.
The row erupted after the government announced £12 million in funding for the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals Trust last month. Local Labour councillors and MP Siobhain McDonagh celebrated the announcement as a major win.
Ms McDonagh called this funding, to be used for essential repairs and facility upgrades next year, “a huge step forward for our local NHS.”
However, the Lib Dem opposition has claimed that only a fraction of that sum, potentially as little as £3m, represents new money for St Helier specifically. The rest is either already allocated or spread across other sites in the Trust, which also includes St George’s in Tooting, they say.
Merton Council has pushed back on the claims, revealing to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it understands that around £7.5m of the £12m is expected to be spent specifically at St Helier. This figure is not finalised, and further details about the specific repairs planned for the hospital are expected soon.
Merton Lib Dems believe inflation has driven up building costs, and claim that without confirmed figures on how much St Helier will receive, they claim residents are being given a false sense of security.
During last week’s Full Council meeting, Lib Dem health spokesperson, Councillor Jenifer Gould, pressed Labour councillors to confirm how much of the funding was genuinely new and how much would go directly to St Helier. She suggested Labour’s lack of clarity amounted to misleading residents and undermined decades of campaigning for proper investment in the hospital.
“Labour has been running this campaign for nearly 30 years, yet they can’t even confirm the figures,” said Cllr Gould. “Instead of being honest with residents, they’ve jumped on an announcement for political gain, celebrating a so‑called ‘victory’ when they don’t even know what’s been secured.
“It’s irresponsible and insulting to the residents who rely on this hospital.”
She continued: “Let’s be clear, any funding is welcome, but this is not the victory Labour are pretending it is. The public deserve the truth.
“Celebrating before knowing the facts isn’t just misleading, it damages the long‑term campaign for real investment. The fight for St Helier is far from over, and pretending otherwise helps no-one.”
In response to Cllr Gould, Labour councillor Peter McCabe, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, defended the announcement. He told the LDRS £7.5m would be spent at St Helier. He said: “We welcome this much-needed injection of funding into St Helier Hospital from the Labour Government.
“Whilst it is clear that the £7.5 million of funding won’t clear the entire backlog, this extra support from the government will help the hospital move forward with the important work of tackling the disrepair.”
He also pushed back against the claims that his party were misleading the public, saying: “Here in Merton, Labour has consistently and actively campaigned to save St Helier Hospital and address the disrepair for years. We welcome the Lib Dems’ recent interest in the campaign.
“Despite the disingenuous claims from the local Lib Dems, we will continue working with the government to secure the funding needed to address the maintenance backlog at St Helier, as well as campaigning to keep A&E and maternity services there for the communities which rely on them.”
St Helier Hospital is battling a mounting repair bill estimated at between £150 million and £200 million. Recent reports describe leaking ceilings, collapsing floors, condemned wards, and lift failures.
Local MPs, including Bobby Dean of Carshalton and Wallington, have warned that parts of the hospital could face catastrophic failure within the decade unless significant new funding is secured. Meanwhile, the long-promised rebuild has been pushed into the 2030s.
A report from the LDRS published in April revealed that the hospital has already spent £60 million on patch repairs over the past five years. Experts warn that if full funding is not delivered, some buildings may become unsafe by the end of the decade.
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