Leighton Buzzard's MP hits out at plans to scrap health hub as he calls for 'maximum public scrutiny'

Leighton Buzzard's MP has hit out at plans to scrap Leighton Buzzard's health hub.

An extraordinary meeting of the Bedfordshire Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (BLMK ICB) is taking place this afternoon (January 11), with its agenda listing the Leighton Buzzard site as one which is "not affordable to progress at this stage” within the limits of the Primary Care Budget.

Andrew Selous MP has also criticised the board for not supporting the building of a fourth GP surgery in the town – and is now calling for "maximum public scrutiny" about the issues.

He said: "At this meeting, BLMK are deciding not to proceed with the health and care hubs in Leighton Buzzard and Houghton Regis and are also not supporting the building of the fourth GP surgery in Leighton Buzzard on the Clipstone Park development, even though the GP surgery was clearly identified in the planning application and Section 106 agreement in 2015. Many Clipstone Park residents have told me over the years that one of the reasons they bought their home was that there was going to be a GP surgery close to them. These people feel justifiably very let down.

"The reason BLMK give for not proceeding with the remaining hubs, the fourth GP surgery and even the use of one additional room in the primary care network covering Houghton Regis, is that they will only increase their revenue spending on the primary care estate by £1.95 million, whereas all the proposed increase in primary care could proceed if they were to spend an extra £4.865 million per year by 2025/26.

"BLMK have a budget of £1.7 billion a year and we have record NHS funding with an additional £14 billion going into health and social care. I believe that many of us could identify savings of £3 million a year, which would allow these much needed primary care developments to proceed. There are now 4,000 doctors who qualified in 2022 training to be GPs."

Mr Selous met with the primary care minister, James Morris, on Monday (January 9) and has "asked him to investigate this proposed course of action by BLMK", which he has agreed to do.

He added: "I want there to be maximum public scrutiny and challenge about these issues. It is our taxes which are being spent and we all have a right to have our say. I think BLMK’s priorities are wrong."

A spokesman for BLMK ICB, said: “The committee meeting will consider a programme of primary care estates schemes that are recommended to receive funding. A robust prioritisation process has been undertaken to establish the schemes that will be taken forward initially. We are committed to getting these schemes under way as soon as possible to improve access for residents.

“We are continuing to work with health and care partners to develop proposals for Integrated Health and Care Hubs. We are also working with three GP practices in Leighton Buzzard and other health and care partners to develop a plan to outline how care is delivered for residents in Leighton Buzzard. However, both of these programmes of work fall outside the scope of the committee meeting taking place this week.”