Patients have pleaded with the St George's trust board to implement a quicker timeline for reinstating women's services in the Tooting hospital.

Services at the urogynaecology unit have been in suspension since May last year when the clinical lead stepped down, mounting safety concerns with the trust's board.

February 10: Patients march to St George's to plead for future of urogynaecology services

February 12: St George's trust "learned lessons" from shortfall in consultation in future of urogynaecology unit

February 15: Departments under investigation and "lean" staffing numbers as St George's deals with £52m deficit

Since then, a consultation has been run to establish the best future for the services, with the initial recommendation being to close the unit.

Campaigners voiced their opposition to this proposal, and now the board of St George's Trust has agreed to go back into talk with its partners and interested parties with a view to reconstructing the survey.

Andrew Rhodes, clinical chair of children and women's division, said: "The conclusion of the public consultation, shows there was a keenness among councils, that we should re-look at how we provide urogynaecology at St George's.

"We have taken the decision that we are not ready to close this service.

"The service is still in suspension as we have not been able to resolve any of the issues that were identified there."

Mr Rhodes said the trust would need the support of commissioners to inform how the services should be run from the hospital.

He said: "The board will expect that any solution is clinically sustainable and financially viable."

Wandsworth Times:

Barbara and Eithne Bohanna

Since the services were suspended, patients were transferred to Croydon University Hospital.

Speaking as a patients' representative, former nurse Barbara Bohanna said: "We welcome hearing that the process has reverted back to thinking the service will reopen.

"The important message is that this must happen as soon as possible.

"It can't go into a long drawn out process of months on end.

"The Croydon experience has collapsed and it should be divorced from the whole equation.

"They [the patients] have suffered enough and been abused enough in this process."

Although there was no available figure for the amount of money spent on issues in the urogynaecology department, Mr Rhodes estimated it would be more than seven figures.

Miles Scott, chief executive of St George's Trust said: "The next step has to be to speak with commissioners.

"It is clear there is an appetite for a service to be provided locally.

"Our first step has to be engagement with the CCG.

"We cannot impose a timetable on them."

The board will be updated on the progress of the talks with commissioners within the next two to three months.