Update - Changes to Your Local Health Services

There have been some important changes to local healthcare services in recent weeks, and we want to make sure as many people as possible are aware of them.

Last week Liberal Democrat Mayor Dave Hodgson went along to the new Urgent Treatment Centre on the Bedford Hospital site, which opened this month and offers patients access to same day GP and Nurse appointments from 11am until 11pm.

Patients will be referred to the UTC via the 111 phone service and given a same-day appointment (in most cases). You can walk-up too, and wait to be seen.

There are some issues with insufficient signage and ongoing renovations in the facility itself, which is located in the Cauldwell Centre building, and these will need to be sorted out.

NHS Commissioners had previously intended that the UTC would replace the Putnoe Walk-In centre, which they planned to close. The Liberal Democrats fought a successful campaign to save it of course and it remains open. However, please be aware that it now has an earlier closing time of 2pm on weekdays. This disappointing reduction could have been avoided had NHS Commissioners handled things much better.

Finally, a new extended access service is now in place, whereby appointments outside normal GP opening hours can be made for patients through your GP or via referrals from 111 calls at the London Road Health Centre and the Riverfield Drive Medical Centre on Honeysuckle Way in Bedford. Your GP should be able to provide details.

All these services are in addition to the existing out-of-hours GP service based at Bedford Hospital, which is run by Herts Urgent Care and is available by appointment only, via 111.

The Liberal Democrats will keep working with the NHS and others to seek the best possible health care services for Bedford Borough residents. To help in that cause, we want to know of people's experiences of using the services, good or bad, so please do get in touch and let us know of yours.