Yesterday saw the urgent meeting of the Bedford Borough Health and Wellbeing Board on the appalling loss of vital children's services at Bedford Hospital. the meeting shed a little more light on this awful situation, and also revealed two particular major issues of concern in addition to the shocking loss of services.
In an email I have sent out this week, I have highlighted the threat hanging over vital children's services at Bedford Hospital on a permanent basis, and how the particular issue of the quality of supervision of junior doctors is being used to pursue a permanent downgrading of children's services at Bedford Hospital. I will do all I can alongside everyone who cares about protecting those services to stop that happening. Here's the email I sent:
Tomorrow at 1pm I will be joining hundreds of parents, children and large numbers of members of our community at large to make clear at a public demonstration that we simply cannot do without essential children's hospital services here in Bedford. The demonstration has been organised by the Save Our Riverbank Ward Group on Facebook, which now has well over 6,000 members. Please have a look there for the very latest on the arrangements for the protest, which will be a powerful expression of the disgust felt by so many that these services should have been allowed to be lost from our local hospital, and of the urgent need for them to return in full as soon as possible.
In and around Bedford town centre this weekend, you will find great arts and cultural events everywhere you turn. Tomorrow sees the Bedford's Big High Street Showcase, with the High Street closed to traffic for one day and taken over by a festival of the very best of the High Street, of Bedford and of the surrounding area. What stands out for me is how businesses and community groups in the area have really taken on this concept and are putting on a fantastic day's entertainment tomorrow.
The stage is also literally set in Harpur Square, with free live music on the 'BedRocks' stage hosted by the Oxjam Bedford team having kicked off yesterday afternoon. Shakespeare in the Square followed yesterday evening, with No Loss Productions' performance of Much Ado About Nothing.
