Cllr Stephen Moon has hit out at NHS commissioners after a report published last week proposed the transfer of maternity services from Bedford Hospital to Milton Keynes Hospital.

The Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Healthcare Review (BMKHR) began in 2014 at the behest of NHS England and hospital regulators, although it has been overseen by the bodies responsible for organising NHS services in both areas, namely the Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

The intention was set out from the beginning to amalgamate services between Bedford Hospital and Milton Keynes Hospital to secure efficiencies and improve service quality.  This led to concerns that as the smaller of the sites, Bedford Hospital would see its key services threatened.  This prediction has been shown to be correct, as the latest Review report has recommended that maternity services be transferred from Bedford to Milton Keynes.

This is despite an alternative option being put forward by Bedford-based clinicians for Bedford Hospital to keep the majority of its services which would be better integrated with community and GP services.  The long-term financial sustainability of this option has been backed up by a review commissioned by Bedford Borough Council, supported by all political groups.

Following the news of the proposed transfer of maternity services, Cllr Moon said:

‘Suspicions that the review loaded the dice from the start to relegate Bedford Hospital to become a satellite of Milton Keynes Hospital have now been confirmed.

‘Milton Keynes NHS commissioners have acted cynically in making absolutely no attempt to consider the alternative proposal which would retain the vast majority of Bedford Hospital’s services, including maternity.  It is even worse that Bedfordshire NHS commissioners have agreed to a proposal to make expectant mothers, probably in a lot of pain, travel up to an hour to give birth.’