7,000 more patients added to roll at Leighton Buzzard surgery in just four years
A town survey will ‘plead the case’ for more services
The number of patients on roll at a Leighton Buzzard surgery increased by around 7,000 in just four years.
Highlighting the urgent need for healthcare infrastructure in the growing town, the vice chair of Bassett Road Surgery Patient Participation Group (PPG) told the LBO that the surgery had decided a 'steady influx' of patients was a better option than closing its list.
The surgery's PPG will soon be launching a town survey to "plead the case for increased services in the Leighton Buzzard".
Earlier this month, the Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) announced that plans for Leighton Buzzard's health hub would be scrapped - for now - due to "revenue constraints". It is also not supporting a fourth surgery for the town.
Vice chair Rosemarie Gunter said: "I feel passionately about the surgery and Bassett Road is doing everything it can to enable appointment availability. BRS are constantly tweaking their system to maximise the number of appointments available, but are fighting an uphill battle with the growing demand. I'm really angry that a fourth surgery has been vetoed.
"At circa 13,000 patients, our PPG asked, at what point does the number of patients we take on become detrimental to the patients we already have? It was decided not to close the list and that a steady influx was a better way of managing resources – four years on and we have almost topped 20,000 patients, but still only have the same sized building to work from."
Members of Bassett Road Surgery PPG, working as members of the general public, organised a trial survey during the summer of 2022. The results supported the call for better healthcare provision in the town, showing that many people were having to travel "way outside of Leighton Buzzard" to receive treatment; for example, for scans, tests, and pressure bandaging.
Following the trial, a town wide survey is due to be launched shortly, and Bassett Road Surgery PPG is asking patients share the link with friends and family.
Rosemarie added: "The more information we can give to the powers that be, to plead our case for increased services in the Leighton Buzzard, the better. We need to make noise!"