Council's new hospital plan to secure future

Vital services, such as maternity and A&E, are under threat of being axed with the ongoing joint review of Bedford and Milton Keynes Hospitals.

Now, Bedford Borough Council, with the cooperation of Bedford Hospital and Bedford Clinical Commissioning Group, is spending £169,000 with PriceWaterhouseCooper to develop a plan for a “better and more secure” future for the hospital.

A cross-party statement said members are increasingly concerned the Joint Health Review will conclude services need to be cut from Bedford as it is the smaller town.

It said: “The NHS has been conducting healthcare reviews in this area for a number of years, with millions of pounds having been wasted and no answers ever having been reached. We have to speak up for the sake of residents in the face of NHS bureaucracy.”

It is expected the council’s plan will be available in June.