Leighton Buzzard Town Councillor questions why 'key' health hub document 'kept secret' for three years

A Leighton Buzzard councillor is questioning why a "key" Health Hub document was "kept secret" for three years.

Leighton-Linslade Town Councillor, Steve Owen, told the LBO that he had to use an FOI request to obtain a 2019 Strategic Outline Case (SOC) about the hub from Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC), claiming it "consistently refused to provide it" when asked.

He is now urging CBC and the BLMK Integrated Care Board (ICB) to run a consultation on plans for the site, as he was concerned to see that South of Vandyke Road and the VOSA Test Station were considered as preferred location options in the SOC - as oppose to Land South of the High Street - while "councillors, the public, and doctors were kept in the dark".

However, the ICB said that the document represents "early exploratory work" and that there would be "engagement with local people and patients", with CBC stating that consultation would be "a key part" of the decision-making process.

The SOC presents a strategic, economic, commercial, financial and management case for the Leighton Buzzard hub, but Cllr Owen is particularly concerned about its location recommendations and omittance of "the need for a minor injuries unit."

He also claimed that a financial plan should have been produced.

He added: "The report privately considers and gives a thumbs up to two particular locations, which are both totally unsuitable. The proposed Vandyke Road and Stanbridge Road locations are too far away from the town centre and inaccessible.

"Land South of the High Street would be ideal; we need the location close to buses and adequate car parking."

The report was presented to the Town Council at a meeting of its Health Services, Task and Finish Group on September 1.

This SOC is the first of three main papers intended by CBC's Health and Wellbeing board to precede the commissioning of a Leighton Hub. The others are an Outline Business Case (OBC) followed by a Full Business Case (FBC).

Cllor Owen concluded: "It's going to be particularly important to have the active campaign support of local doctors."

At its meeting on September 1, the Town Council resolved to write to key stakeholders to question, among other things: whether any progress had been made since the 2019 document; what would be the emphasis of an integrated care hub in terms of services; the omission of a financial plan or strategy, or any reference to land values; and the need for wider local consultation.

South West Bedfordshire MP, Andrew Selous, said: “I have invited all three practices, the ICS, CBC and the L&D chief executive to a meeting on September 26 to clarify the way forward for primary care in the town."

You can read the SOC, which was compiled by consultants, Arcadis – contracted by CBC – online here.

A CBC spokesman said: “Our shared aspiration to deliver up to five Hubs across Central Bedfordshire is subject to affordability and availability of funding by the partners, including the Council, and other sources including NHS Capital and ICB business cases. Due to the scale of investment for the Hub Programme this requires a planned and phased approach.

"Delivery of the remaining Hubs is an aspiration of the partners and dependent on capital funds being available and thus no firm commitment has been made at this time.

“Updates on the Hub programme are presented to the Councils Joint / Partnership Committees and the Health and Wellbeing Board by multiple partners, each taking ownership for their specific part of the programme and not withholding any information intentionally as suggested. These meetings are held in public and open to anyone who wishes to attend.

“Community involvement and consultation is a key part of the Council’s decision-making process as we believe that the whole community should have the opportunity to engage during plan-making and in relation to planning applications.

"Any local progress of the work for a hub will include engagement with all key stakeholders, which will include local councillors, residents as well as the Leighton Linslade Partnership Committee. The process will also include a further options appraisal for a suitable site given the length of time from the previous Strategic Outline Case report.”

An ICB spokesman said: “NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB) and system partners – that includes Central Bedfordshire Council – have a joint ambition to develop a series of integrated Health and Care Hubs, which will enable more joined-up care for the residents of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

“To inform the development of the Hub strategy for BLMK, some early scoping work was carried out during 2018, which included testing the feasibility of delivering a Hub in Leighton Buzzard as one of a number of potential projects.

“The resulting document from the Leighton Buzzard work – the Strategic Outline Case – represented early exploratory work, which would inform the development of a far more detailed Outline Business Case, which is when engagement with local people and patients takes place.

“In line with HM Treasury guidance, no formal decisions can be made about the delivery of any Health and Care Hub until the Outline Business Case stage has been completed, providing assurance around available funding sources, affordability, public engagement and value for money.

“The prioritisation of Health and Care Hubs across Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes is being reviewed currently to take into account the impact of the Covid pandemic and resulting health inequalities in particular. This work will inform next steps for these important projects, which will be undertaken with our system partners.”