The process of shaping the future of south-west London health services has begun.

A 60 person scoring panel, including members of the public, patients, voluntary sector workers, doctors and nurses, local authority members and the directors of various public heath bodies had their say in ranking hospitals in the area for key future improvements.

Clinicians from across south-west London health organisations such as West Middlesex Hospital, where a third of the patients are from Richmond, and Hounslow and Richmond community healthcare NHS trust have also been involved in the process.

It looked at how planned care, urgent emergency care, maternity and children’s services, long term conditions and end of life care were dealt with in this part of London.

So far one of the highest scoring options put forward for consideration was the suggestion of St Helier Hospital hosting a state of the art surgery centre and Croydon and Kingston hospitals developing and improving accident and emergency and maternity services.

For details about options set to be considered visit southwestlondon.nhs.uk.