Huge deficits at Epsom Hospital could continue for a decade worried residents were told today.

At an Epsom Hospital board meeting this morning auditors' figures put the deficit at £13.8 million in 2012/13 and projected that it would still be £12.8 million in 2021/22.

The merger of Epsom Hospital and Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals fell apart last month leaving the future of the hospital in chaos.

Auditor Deloitte projected that if the hospitals had merged then the deficit would still have been £5.4 in 2017/18 despite receiving more than £50 million in financial support to help with the transition.

There would have been £5 million in on-going costs but £8.8 million in synergies had the merger happened.

The meeting, attended by about 30 members of the public, was told the merger collapsed because of the size of the deficit and a reduction in the estimated savings that could be made.

Other contributory factors were uncertainty over the future of health reforms creating GP commissioning and a healthcare review which recommends some St Helier Hospital units for closure.

One audience member, John Turner, was clapped after calling on the board to resign or to be subject to a judicial review.

Mr Turner said: "When we told every effort would be made for continuing Epsom as a viable hospital I’m staggered.

"The only thing that has been exhibited through this farrago is you have achieved nothing, you have wasted two years, Epsom Hospital has been sold down the river and to be quite honest your asset stripping financial policy in a commercial world would be morally reprehensible."

But Matthew Hopkins, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust executive director, pointed out that the hospital had been through nine strategic reviews in 15 years and seven chief executives over the last decade.

Mr Hopkins said: "This organisation has had its fair share of uncertainty and it has been dogged by a number of problems that have led to where we are today.

"It’s all very easy and well to say this is the fault of managers and the board.

"But I think we do have ask ourselves the question are successful organisations ones that change their leadership, change the person at the helm, every couple of years and limp from strategic review to strategic review."

He said having progressed from front-line care to chief executive he understood the business of running healthcare at different levels.

He said: "We can all look for somebody to blame but I think we all need to reflect on the difference between a successful organisation and those that have long standing challenges, whether it’s this hospital or indeed St Helier."

Jim O’Hallolon, 67, from Epsom, said he came to the meeting to fight to keep the hospital that saved his life with a successful operation.

Mr O’Hallolon said: "I came here 35 years ago with a life-threatening complaint.

"In the last couple of years I have brought family members in need of emergency treatment.

"We need a hospital."

Brian Stringer, from Epsom, said he felt confused to see the proposed merger halt after being given reassurances last month it was good news for the hospital.

He said: "We need to know why it all fell apart when it looked so promising."