Mayor: Closure Plan for Bedford Maternity 'Utterly Unacceptable'

Mayor Dave Hodgson has slammed plans announced by the NHS Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Healthcare Review for the downgrading of Bedford Hospital, including the removal of all births.

The plans, which also include other service reductions such as the end of inpatient children's care, were revealed in a press release and report published this week by the review.

Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "As feared, the Review has set its sights on a severe downgrade of Bedford Hospital. The removal of all births from Bedford Hospital is an utterly unacceptable proposal for a fast-growing local population. Forcing expectant mothers from Bedford and surrounding towns and villages to travel for up to an hour to Milton Keynes, away from their home, their family and support network is plain wrong.'

"Residents in Bedford Borough will not accept this, and the evidence we have published this week shows that they should not have to. That's why we will keep up the pressure on this review to change course from these flawed, damaging proposals for Bedford Hospital and the communities it serves."

The proposals are based on the 3,100-plus women who give birth every year in Bedford being forced to travel to Milton Keynes. Their publication comes in the same week that Bedford Borough Council published a report commissioned on a cross-party basis which illustrated that a downgrade is not necessary to make the Hospital sustainable in the future.

The healthcare review, which has cost at least £4.5 million to date, is due to conduct public consultation in the winter, with a final decision in spring 2017. In the meantime, Mayor Dave Hodgson will be seeking the broadest possible support in the campaign to stop the downgrade plans going ahead.