Mayor – Return of Junior Doctors Must Mean Return of All Children’s Hospital Services

Mayor Dave Hodgson has welcomed the announcement of the return of junior doctors to BedfordHospital's Paediatrics Department from August, and called on NHS decision-makers to commit to return full children's services to the hospital.

Nearly a year on from the shock withdrawal of paediatrics services, families with children requiring inpatient care of more than a single day are still facing the strain of having to travel to access it. Instead of the return of junior doctors signalling the reinstatement of inpatient care which was lost when they were removed, this situation will continue while NHS Commissioners continue the delayed £3.2 million review into 'reconfiguring' services at Bedford and Milton Keynes hospitals. This is in spite of the CQC's inspections showing that Bedford Hospital performs at least as well as other hospitals nearby, and in many cases better.

Commenting, Mayor Dave Hodgson said: "This good news will only make a real difference to local children and families if all of the services which were stripped away from Bedford when the junior doctors were removed are reinstated when they come back. With the return of the junior doctors and the positive inspections by the CQC, there is no reason why the paediatrics services which were available previously, including overnight and extended care, should not come back too, and for good.

"I have said all along that the serious but narrow issue of junior doctor supervision must not be exploited to permanently reduce vital local children's services. Now NHS Commissioners can show that this is not the intention by bringing back inpatient services, as we had previously. It is unacceptable that children and their families, at the time of the greatest strain, are forced to travel for care that could and should be available at their local hospital."

The £3.2 million review 'Your Health in Bedfordshire' follows on from the £2.2 million Healthier Together Programme, which recommended downgrading two hospitals in the South East Midlands area and placed Bedford, as one of the two smallest, in the firing line. The CQC has published extremely positive assessments of the standards of care at Bedford Hospital, and places Bedford in the second best band (out of six) in its risk ratings, making it one of the most highly regarded hospitals across the area.

Current CQC priority ratings for hospital trusts are available on its website.

Mayor Dave spoke to BBC Three Counties Radio this week on this issue, and the interview is available via the BBC website for the next few days (scroll to 1:53:35 into the broadcast)