A final decision on the future of NHS services in south east London could be made as early as July.

Proposals to close A&E and maternity services at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, and possibly at Lewisham Hospital are now being examined by independent experts who are drafting so-called impact assessments.

The assessments evaluate the consequences of any reconfiguration of hospital services on the communities affected.

These include inequalities in health care between affluent and deprived areas, people’s access to services via public and private transport, the impact on the environment and patients’ carbon footprint.

The report will be published on May 15 and considered by a meeting of the joint health overview and scrutiny committee for Bexley, Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich at a meeting at Woolwich Town Hall, on May 20.

The councillors’ report on the findings will then be fed back to the NHS before Imperial College London reveals the results of a three-month public consultation on the proposals called A picture of health, which ended last month.

It received about 9,500 responses out of a population of one million across the four boroughs.

A final decision is then expected by the joint committee of the four primary care trust in mid to late July.

Simon Robbins, senior officer for A picture of health, said: “I am satisfied with the number of responses we have received as it compares positively to other NHS consultations.

“I think these initial findings demonstrate that the consultation achieved its goal of creating public awareness of A picture of health, stimulating people to engage in the debate, contribute their views and suggestions, and these will play a important role in informing the final decision.”