Bedford Borough Council Conservative Group Leader Cllr Stephen Moon has slammed Mayor Dave Hodgson for ‘scaremongering’ over the future of Bedford Hospital.
Mayor Hodgson has repeated his claim that a ‘major downgrade’ has not been ruled out even though a healthcare review report has confirmed that key services such as paediatrics, A & E and maternity will be retained at the Hospital.
The report follows several months of work carried out by the Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG), Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Group (MKCCG) and NHS England. It has put forward a number of options to improve service quality, reduce hospital trips and bring care closer to home.
Cllr Moon feels that Mayor Hodgson’s comments are ‘preying upon the concerns of patients’ and ’destroying’ staff morale. He said:
‘It is unfortunate that the report has been a costly exercise and that the delay in receiving it has caused uncertainty for staff. Despite this, the Hospital’s Chief Executive has said it is a ‘good step forward’ for the future of the Hospital and that he expects services to grow. It is encouraging that the review will look further at strengthening ties with other hospitals including Addenbrooke’s to improve service quality.
‘The Chief Executive of the Hospital has said the ‘speculation by local stakeholders’ has been ‘unhelpful’ and that more staff have left the Hospital than is usually the case. The Mayor’s assertion of a ‘major downgrade’ is simply untrue as paediatric, maternity and A & E services will be retained. He is preying upon the concerns of patients and destroying staff morale for political gain.’