Bedford Hospital Paediatric Services

As you may have heard, there has been very concerning news from Bedford hospital this week, with junior doctors to be removed from the paediatric department at some point by the end of the month. This will have significant implications for paediatric services that can be provided at the hospital, although the hospital is yet to confirm exactly what the immediate plans will be. The decision to withdraw the junior doctors has been taken by Health Education East of England, the body responsible for doctors in training, and the General Medical Council due to failings around supervision in paediatrics for junior doctors.

I am extremely concerned about this. What is essential now is that patient safety is put above all else and plans are put in place to ensure safe continuing care for sick children. Where children are seriously unwell families are obviously experiencing the very highest levels of stress and anxiety, and the safe care of children and clarity for these families about ongoing care must be paramount. Bedford Hospital has said that parents with any questions or concerns about how changes may affect their child's care can also call 01234 730500.

I have held discussions this week with figures from the NHS and the Hospital leadership itself, at which I have stressed that the following must be provided:

1. Clarity on exactly what the removal of the junior doctors means for the paediatric unit at Bedford Hospital. Patient safety must be guaranteed, and that has to be the absolute priority on the immediate decisions on paediatric care at Bedford Hospital.

2. Once we have that clarity and we know the extent to which services are being lost from Bedford now, we need a clear plan from the hospital for bringing them back to Bedford, at the highest level of quality and patient safety.

As Chair of the Bedford Borough Health and Wellbeing Board, I have called a special meeting of this new body, at which I will be seeking answers from the hospital leadership on these crucial matters. This is a public meeting, taking place at Borough Hall at 10am on Thursday 18th July.

There will also need to be a full inquiry into how Bedford Hospital allowed this matter to get to the point where Health Education East of England and the General Medical Council felt there was no option but to remove junior doctors altogether from the paediatric department. This is a matter of serious concern, and I will be insisting on nothing less than full openness, transparency and accountability from Bedford Hospital.

We have seen what effect evasiveness and secrecy has in the NHS from instances elsewhere in the country. Now is the time for complete transparency in order that local children, families and the wider community can get the answers they need and deserve, and to ensure that such failings cannot happen again.