Hospital Under Scrutiny

12.04.33pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Sep 2006

Bedford Liberal Democrats have reacted with concern after a meeting of the Bedfordshire NHS Joint Scrutiny Committee on Friday did nothing to reassure local residents facing the devastating impact of further cuts to local services.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Judith Cunningham, Bedford Borough Council's representative on the committee, left the meeting extremely concerned about the effect of the continuing cuts at Bedford Hospital. These include the closure of more beds and the cancellation of a planned programme to replace the hospital's operating theatres in addition to the job losses and service cuts that have already taken place. Commenting on the issue, Councillor Cunningham said:

"At Friday's meeting of the NHS Scrutiny Committee I asked the glaring question: How can further cuts to local services be planned at a time when the Bedford area is due to witness the building of 19,500 new homes? The only response seems to be that the government-induced deficit leaves Bedford Hospital no choice but to lose staff and cut services for local people. So, as Bedford's population swells due to the Government's 'growth agenda,' we face the prospect of more people, less health services. In recent years the idea that a new hospital should be built alongside the A421 has been floated, and now we are told that not only are cuts in services to continue at our existing hospital, but also that the Strategic Health Authority's Acute Services Review places its very existence is under threat."