Councillors have raised concerns over hospital care in south London amid “enormous pressure” and financial sanctions.

Questions about Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust were raised at a joint health overview and scrutiny committee meeting at Southwark Council.

The trust, which has a £92.2million deficit and has been in financial special measures since December, provides services for Kings College Hospital in Denmark Hill, Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough, Orpington Hospital, Beckenham Beacon and Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.

Bromley councillor Judith Ellis questioned trust leaders about lack of investment in services with increasing patient numbers, and longer hospital stays.

She said: “When someone arrives in hospital can that person be sure to have specialist care? When ambulances have to wait five hours and there are people in the corridors, people want to know, am I going to be safe?”

Professor Julia Wendon, executive medical director at the trust, told councillors patient safety was the highest priority and “why we get up in the morning” but pressure on the emergency departments was significant.

She said changes had been made to improve safety in the emergency departments, including a checklist to make sure people were monitored while they waited for care.

Lambeth councillor Edward Davie said while there were many things the trust could do to better manage finances, certain demands could not be managed.

He said: “Particularly when you get bad weather, or a flu outbreak or when there is nowhere for older patients to go because of cuts in social care in places like Bromley – a hospital trust cannot control many of those aspects.”

Cllr Davie said there needed to be more investment in public health services to lower the pressure from preventable diseases.

He said: “All the predeterminants you talk about are going the wrong way. Investment is not going into public health.

“Where I am from poverty is a very strong predeterminate of health. One in five residents have lost benefits amid very substantial rises in poverty. We have a housing crisis – housing is another predeterminate for good health, we have more obesity – all the indicators are there.

“Let’s not talk about return on investment – there is very little investment in health or housing or any other things.”

Dr Angela Bahn, chief officer for Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group, the NHS body responsible for the planning and commissioning of health care services for the local area, admitted there was little investment in public health, but said the trust could have a stronger impact on preventable diseases.

She said: “Some of the longer-terms things we talk about, obesity and exercise, the turn has come a few years down the line but there is more we can be doing to look after older and vulnerable people in the community now to have a preventative impact, which is making sure we are all joined up and make sure we are using resources to the maximum benefit.”

Andrew Bland, chief officer for Southwark and Bexley CCG, also revealed the trust had been fined £4 million for failing to meet national targets for referral to treatment times for non-emergency patient care and emergency department waiting times.

Interim chief financial officer Alan Goldsman said while the fines were challenging, they were not the reason the trust is in financial measures.

The trust will remain in financial special measures imposed by NHS Improvement, the organisation which oversees foundation trusts.