"Where's the honesty?" Anger as health boss accepts blame for 'confusion' over health hubs' future

Councillors have blasted BLMK integrated care board after its chief executive accepted responsibility for confusion over whether health hubs across Central Bedfordshire remain a future option.

The first hub is currently being built in Dunstable – although it appeared the remainder of the programme would grind to a halt after a meeting of the BLMK integrated care board (ICB) was called at short notice last week.

Hubs in differing formats are planned for Biggleswade (Ivel Valley), Leighton-Linslade, West-Mid Bedfordshire (including Ampthill and Flitwick) and Houghton Regis, if funding and suitable sites can be identified.

Health organisations and Central Bedfordshire Council want to provide a network of care settings in each hub to offer a broad range of services.

It was announced at the ICB meeting there would be no future schemes after the Dunstable hub, CBC’s social care, health and housing overview and scrutiny committee was told.

Ahead of a report on primary care capacity in Leighton-Linslade, Conservative Health and Reach councillor Mark Versallion explained: “This includes the Biggleswade health hub which has been axed.”

Introducing this report, ICB chief executive Felicity Cox said: “What we’re clear about is health hubs funded by primary care alone cannot go forward.

“There’s a misapprehension among many people from within my team and from the public. The concept of health hubs isn’t funded by primary care capital and revenue alone.

“We’re seeing in Grove View (Dunstable) other services within health hubs, from social care, mental health, dentistry and pharmacy.

“I think that was a problem of our miscommunication. We didn’t put that as clear as we should have done. That’s entirely my fault that it wasn’t fully understood.”

Conservative Dunstable Central councillor Carole Hegley said: “My concern on seeing this report is I’m really hearing mixed messages from Felicity.

“What’s the take from the public on this report? ‘We’ve got ‘x’ amount of appointments, ‘x’ amount of GPs’. If the public still can’t access the GP, what does good look like?

“The public perception of this report doesn’t give me confidence of how the system will look when it’s put right, improved or whatever that journey is.

“Suddenly there’s a shocking revelation at a meeting that was a communications hitch, mixed messages or whatever, which has caused people concern. I don’t feel valued at all as a partner in that context.”

The executive member for social care, health and housing councillor Hegley, who sits on CBC’s health and wellbeing board, added: “I’m disappointed. I’m not feeling a part of a partner that would have shared information.

“Where’s the honesty? Where’s the drive? Where’s the clarity about what’s going to happen and when?” she asked. “I just feel that’s not happening.

“Actually we’re embarrassed now we’re driving forward on health issues and the rug has been pulled. I don’t know enough about the ICB and what it’s doing. It just seems a big organisation.”

Councillor Versallion, who chairs the committee, agreed, saying: “Even ICB members are telling the board they don’t know what’s going on. They haven’t been told. There isn’t transparency.”