Five specialist panels and two committees have now given a thumbs up to Ashford and St Peter’s Hospital's bid to merge with Epsom Hospital.

Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust submitted a bid to merge with the hospital in November to help Epsom Hospital to reach foundation status.

A transaction board, set up to manage the process, is assessing the bid using five specialist panels focusing on how the bid will impact clinical, human resources, non clinical, legal and financial areas at the hospital.

Each of the five panels, which include doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and GP’s, have approved Ashford and St Peter’s bid and have presented their findings to two committees - one representing the local community and the other made up of group of clinicians from inside and outside the trust.

Feedback from both committees was positive allowing the bid to progress to the next stage.

Their assessment will now be presented to the trust board and the transaction board before going before the hospital's strategic authority, NHS London.

It will be announced in March if Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals Trust has been selected as a preferred bidder and if successful preparations for de-merging from St Helier will begin.

If all goes to plan, the preferred bidder is expected to start running Epsom Hospital from January 1 next year.

For more information visit epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/foundationtrust