Healthcare in Bedfordshire

Healthcare in Bedfordshire is now the responsibility of Bedfordshire, and Luton Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group is said to be in the most difficult financial position of any in England. It was supposed to produce a £4.6m surplus at the end of 2014/15 but now expects to run up a ‘very serious and disturbing’ £25m deficit. Accountable Officer Dr Paul Hassan said “Much of our overspend has been on caring for patients at our local acute hospitals, but we have also seen a large rise in costs for providing mental healthcare and continuing healthcare for people in the community."[1] By March 2015 the deficit for the year was predicted to be “up to £40m”. Contributing factors were said to be a difficult winter, increased hospital activity and a high number of expensive out of area placements for mental health service users.[2]

History

From 1947 to 1965 NHS services in Bedfordshire were managed by the North-West Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board. In 1974 the Boards were abolished and replaced by Regional Health Authorities. Bedfordshire came under the North West Thames RHA. Regions were reorganised in 1996 and Bedfordshire came under the Anglia and Oxford Regional Health Authority. Bedfordshire had an Area Health Authority from 1974 until 1982 when it was divided into two District Authorities: North and South. in 1993 these were reunited. Regional Health Authorities were reorganised and renamed Strategic Health Authorities in 2002. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire was under Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire SHA. In 2006 regions were again reorganised and Bedfordshire came under NHS East of England until that was abolished in 2013. There were two Primary Care Trusts for the area: Luton and Bedfordshire.

Primary care

There are 55 GP practices in Bedfordshire CCG and 31 in Luton CCG.

Acute care

The main providers of NHS acute hospital care in the county are Bedford Hospital NHS Trust, and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Mental health

NHS Mental Health services have been provided by South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. East London NHS Foundation Trust is due to take over running mental health services in the county on 1 April 2015.[3]

HealthWatch

Healthwatch is an organisation set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to act as a voice for patients. There are three separate local Healthwatches in the county covering Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton.

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ "£25m deficit faced by Bedfordshire healthcare commissioners is worst in the country". Bedfordshire on Sunday. 4 December 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "Troubled CCG says its deficit could reach £40m". Health Service Journal. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  3. ↑ "Carers and service users can shape the future of mental healthcare in Bedfordshire". Commissioning Review. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.