Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats have called for a halt to the 'headlong rush' towards a merger of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, over fears that it could have a harmful impact on local health services in the future.
Bedford Borough Council's Executive discussed the financial impact of COVID-19 following a report highlighting that the council is facing a financial gap of between £22 and £36million over the next five years with the impact of COVID-19 causing a significant pressure.
A meeting of the governing bodies of the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups taking place tomorrow, Tuesday 22nd September, will decide whether to proceed with a merger to create one commissioning body for their combined area. Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats are calling for the merger plans to be scrapped due to the increased risk of a more remote healthcare commissioning authority covering a much wider area making decisions which do not meet the needs of local communities in Bedford Borough.
Bedford Borough Council will receive £1.76 million from Historic England to deliver building works and a cultural programme to regenerate Bedford High Street. The South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership and LoveBedford are also contributing funding.
Changes at Bedford Borough's household waste recycling centre now mean more vehicles will be able to access the site and more booking slots will be available for anyone looking to drop off their waste and recycling.
Bedford Borough Liberal Democrats wish everyone celebrating a very healthy, happy and peaceful Rosh Hashanah.