Have your say on Leighton Buzzard healthcare facilities and difficulty accessing appointments

Leighton Buzzard residents are urged to take part in a town-wide survey and "fight for future healthcare provision".

Patients are invited to "take action" and share their thoughts about additional facilities needed for the community, as well as reporting any difficulties with accessing appointments. The aim is to build a "full and comprehensive picture" of the struggles people face – and its organisers hope to be "inundated" with evidence to present to Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) and Central Bedfordshire Council.

Rosemarie Gunter, vice chair of Bassett Road Surgery Patient Participation Group (PPG), which is spearheading the survey on behalf of the town’s network of surgery PPGs, said: "This is our chance to feed data back to those people making choices for us. Those that say we don't need a fourth surgery, a health hub, or a minor injuries unit.

"But are they living through the difficulties we have on a daily basis? For example, struggling to get doctors appointments or travelling to Amersham, High Wycombe, Houghton Regis, Bedford, Milton Keynes, and the L&D for clinic appointments – having to travel for basic treatments that we could receive in Leighton Buzzard?"

The survey comes after a controversial announcement in January from the BLMK ICB, when it listed the Leighton Buzzard health hub as one which was "not affordable to progress at this stage”, and did not support a fourth surgery. However, at a public meeting about GP capacity in February, BLMK ICB chair Dr Rima Makarem, stated that it was "still working on the five hubs for Central Bedfordshire", and that the Leighton Buzzard hub "is not off the table. It never has been off the table."

But as there are now 51,200 patients registered with the town's three surgeries (as of January 2023), the survey organisers believe additional facilities such as a minor injuries clinic, walk-in blood tests, ultrasound scans and x-rays are urgently needed.

Rosemarie said: "Let's not let this be a damp squib – let's flood the ICB with opinions. Let's get the biggest response ever so we have to be listened to."

The survey is available via SurveyMonkey and closes on April 30. Paper copies will be available from March 27 at each of the three surgeries and the White House. Email any questions to [email protected]