MP reveals a healthy increase in primary care staff for Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable and Houghton Regis is planned

A total of 180 new employees will be taken on in South Bedfordshire
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MP Andrew Selous has been informed by local health chiefs that 180 new direct patient primary care staff will be coming to South Bedfordshire.

The South West Beds MP had written to Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) last month to ask what the primary care workforce plans are for South Bedfordshire in response to the significant new housing coming to our area.

Earlier answers from the CCG had shown that South Bedfordshire is below the East of England and England average for the number of direct patient care roles and GPs per 10,000 registered patients.

Andrew Selous MP on a visit to Bassett Road Surgery in Leighton BuzzardAndrew Selous MP on a visit to Bassett Road Surgery in Leighton Buzzard
Andrew Selous MP on a visit to Bassett Road Surgery in Leighton Buzzard

The reply from the CCG received on February 7 informed Mr Selous that the Chiltern Hills Primary Care Network which covers Dunstable and the surrounding area will be employing 60 more direct patient primary care staff in this and the next two financial years.

In the Leighton Buzzard Primary Care Network an additional 82 staff will be employed and in the Titan Primary Care Network which covers Houghton Regis, an extra 38.5 whole time equivalent staff will be employed.

In response to the news, Mr Selous said: “I was pleased to learn about the recruitment of these additional 180 staff and I have written back to the CCG to ask about the retention of existing experienced staff, where all these new staff will be working and about GP recruitment targets.

“Getting increased general practice capacity right in our area is of paramount importance and I shall continue to hold both the Government and the CCG to account on its delivery.”