Fighting for Bedford Hospital

Henry Vann and the local Lib Dems have been fighting to protect key services at Bedford Hospital. The Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) is just the latest in a series of reviews of healthcare in the area over the last few years, which have placed constant uncertainty over the future of key local services and cost the taxpayers millions of pounds.

Cllr Henry Vann said 'Local residents across the constituency have been in contact with me to express their support for the Hospital and I know how important local hospital services are. We need to retain key services such as A&E, full maternity and paediatrics here.'

Freedom of Information requests by Henry Vann revealed that plans being considered by the Luton and Dunstable Hospital in October 2015 assumed a massive downgrade of Bedford Hospital with a report stating: 'The analysis is built on the assumption that maternity services at Bedford will close.'

Cllr Henry Vann said: 'It took months of FOI requests to get this information out of the Luton's NHS Trust. It is easy to see why: it's all about the money and it unveils their assumptions that Bedford Hospital's maternity unit would close. This previously hidden document sets out, in black and white, that Luton were planning for Bedford Maternity services to close as part of the financial package for expansion in Luton. Whether approved by their Board or not, it is quite clear to me that anyone involved in this Outline Business Case must declare an interest and should step back from the decision-making process.'