Putney hospital is to be sold - effectively writing off the millions of pounds spent on the site during the 11 years it stood derelict.

NHS Wandsworth’s decision to sell it off has raised new fears the land, which has been home to a hospital since 1912, will be targeted by developers for a massive housing project.

The borough’s healthcare provider agreed last Wednesday the site “should no longer be retained for healthcare purposes” providing three Putney GP practices secure accommodation in the town centre - a deal expected to be finalised in the coming days.

Under the NHS Estatecode, the land will first be offered to neighbouring NHS organisations, NHS London and Wandsworth Council but the council this week admitted “it would be very difficult to find the large sums required to buy this site and redevelop it”.

Meanwhile, NHS London passed the buck, saying it was down to “the NHS locally to decide if they want to purchase the land”.

If no buyer steps forward within 40 days, the site, on Putney Common, will be put up for sale on the open market.

John Horrocks, the Putney Society’s building panel convener, said: “I would say it’s now almost inevitable that in the present circumstances the most likely purchaser of the site would be a firm of residential developers.

“I’m afraid that’s what we are expecting to happen.”

However, Putney MP Justine Greening played down the fear of a private sector sale.

She said: “Presumably there’s a possibility but then in today’s day and age nobody in the private sector will be able to buy it.

“I’m very disappointed like many residents that it cannot be used for the provision of healthcare - but I very much hope it can still be a site providing community services.”

A council spokesman said: “It's extremely important that the NHS learns from this episode and develops a more efficient and reliable approach to planning the borough's health services.”

Graham Mackenzie, NHS Wandsworth’s director of strategic planning and borough commissioning, said: “The recent reconstruction of Queen Mary’s Hospital, Roehampton, and ongoing improvement plans have resulted in healthcare improvements.

“As our plans progress, patients will see more services becoming available at Queen Mary’s and other easily accessible sites.”

Last year, the Wandsworth Guardian revealed NHS Wandsworth spent £2.6m in eight years on planning and securing the dilapidated hospital site.

• What do you think? Let us know by emailing imason@london.newsquest.co.uk, phone the newsdesk on 020 8330 9533 or leave a comment below.