The question mark hanging over the future of A&E services in east Kent is expected to continue into 2019 following the postponement of a much-anticipated public consultation.

A survey on the potential options, which will determine the fate of the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, was expected to be released this spring.

But east Kent’s four clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have put it back as they attempt to flesh out more details on the options they want laid out.

The decision has angered Concern for Health in East Kent campaign group member Peggy Pryer.

She said: “To say we are concerned about this is an understatement.

“This is just a continuation of unacceptable management - it makes you wonder what they have been doing for months.

“Delaying the situation doesn’t help the staff, or the patients. It is having a real knock-on effect on healthcare elsewhere in the county as well, with people in Medway being affected.”

One of the options being considered will see the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford become the major A&E department, with an A&E retained at the QEQM in Margate and a GP-led urgent care centre at the K&C.

A second, proposal would see a new hospital built next to the K&C to act as the sole A&E for east Kent. It would be partly-funded by developer Mark Quinn, who has offered to build a hospital shell in return for planning permission for 2,000 homes.

Capital funding requirements and the affordability of the proposals still need to be looked into.

Despite criticism, east Kent’s CCGs say the process is being handled “as quickly as possible”.

A spokesman said: “Applying evaluation criteria, which has been developed with the public and clinicians, to the list of potential options to reach the shortlist for public consultation will be done once we have gathered all our data, through a transparent process involving clinicians and members of the public.

“Once we have a shortlist of established proposals to go to public consultation, there will be a rigorous assurance process before the consultation launches.

“It is a process that requires a great deal of hard work and, while it is being progressed as quickly as possible, it is not possible to give a date for when consultation will start.”