I attended the council's Executive meeting on behalf of residents on June 2 to challenge their claims they are championing the cause of Health Provision in our region and it gave me no pleasure to verify that the NHS ICB had not even bothered to inform our council that a funding stream had become available, which released £6.5M to Bedford B.C for Wixams when the ICB tapped into end-of-year surplus funding generated by delayed projects elsewhere in England!

Why didn’t the same ICB consider communicating with our council and make similar efforts for our Region?

In addition, since highlighting to our Health Board (Nov 2025 to March 2026) our concerns about the lower than expected appointment numbers at the towns remodelled clinic, we have noted a decline in the level of information supplied via Freedom of Information requests that helps our group monitor the promised improvements in capacity with what is actually being delivered and we have been told we won’t have any direct meetings until September 2026 a full 14 months after the new rooms were opened.

Where have requests for Infrastructure funding come from. | Central East ICB - public domain

placeholder image — Where have requests for Infrastructure funding come from. | Central East ICB - public domain

So, I was having a typical campaign month with no progress and left to wonder what I could write in my health article...

Then out of the blue there was a social media spike on the subject of health with multiple posts about “News of better healthcare for our area”, which concluded on June 23, when in the space of one hour an LBO article had been posted from the council Leader Adam Zerny; a reply to my letter from director of neighbourhood health assuring me that plans were being put together and future decisions made would be based upon robust evidence, measurable outcomes and a FOI response that indicated outpatient appointments are lower which reduces the number of patients required to travel outside the town.

Coincidence or part of a co-ordinated response to recent criticisms?

There is too much information to cover here, but I would say that the council leader's statement is a realistic assessment that the ICB needs to look again at health centres as part of the neighbourhood plan; that this isn’t going to happen overnight, but the fact that CBC has identified to the ICB the wider Housing Development picture that exists around Leighton Buzzard was important.

What is frustrating is this announcement effectively resets the clock back to December 2022 when plans had been prepared prior to the ICB unilaterally vetoing any new infrastructure projects from January 2023.

So having already submitted a survey from 5,500+ residents in 2023 and a petition of 4,400+ in 2024, we are being asked to lobby and campaign by the council all over again, competing with 56 other communities who no doubt feel they should be the top priority as much as we do.

We will keep you informed of developments.