CUTS to Chase Farm Hospital services have been put on hold by the new health secretary.

Andrew Lansley yesterday called a halt to NHS London's plans to reconfigure health services across north London.

The proposals, which centred on the creation of "polysystems" and involved hospital mergers and new polyclinics, took three years to compile and were projected to save £5billion a year by 2016.

They would have seen Chase Farm Hospital, in The Ridgeway, lose its 24-hour A&E department by 2014 and its consultant-led maternity and children's services by summer 2011.

Mr Lansley promised control would change hands from managers to doctors and patients.

Announcing the changes, he said: “A top-down, one-size fits all approach will be replaced with the devolution of responsibility to clinicians and the public, with an improved focus on quality.

“It will be centred on a sound evidence base, support from GP commissioners and strengthened arrangements for public and patient engagement, including local authorities.”

It is unclear at present precisely what the move means for Chase Farm Hospital, but the health secretary is believed to be making an announcement tomorrow.

Enfield NHS said it has "no idea" what Government plans are for the borough's hospitals and Enfield North MP Nick de Bois said he "could not say anything yet".

Former Chase Farm councillor Kate Wilkinson was equally in the dark, but voiced optimism.

She said: "This is fantastic news. There certainly wasn't the clinical evidence to back up the plans.

"The parties made clear before the election what their intentions were for the hospital and Enfield residents will expect them to deliver those priorities.

"All the frontline services are still there, so the Tories have the opportunity to reverse these changes.

"Thousands of people in Enfield will expect them to do so."

Mr de Bois and fellow Tory MP for Southgate David Burrowes both made manifestos pledges to halt NHS London plans to shut down Chase Farm's 24-hour emergency surgery following consultation with doctors and residents.

However, Ruth Carnall, chief executive of NHS London said the original review by Labour's Lord Darzi showed current systems would not meet the needs for Londoners in the future.

She added: “The Secretary of State is clear that GPs must take the lead in deciding which services are provided locally.

“He is also clear that Londoners must have a bigger say on the shape of local services and be able to make informed choices on where they go to receive care.

“Over the next few months we will be working with GPs and other clinicians to understand how best to support them as they deliver the urgently needed improvements to London’s healthcare.”

She added more information would be released by NHS London in the future to support any proposed changes to services.