Accessing healthcare is becoming increasing difficult, particularly has more homes are built and the number of GPs fails to increase at the same rate. 

This is felt across the country, but particularly in north of Central Bedfordshire, where Biggleswade is a strategic site for building thousands of new homes in the Central Bedfordshire Council Local Plan over the next 10-15 years. 

The lack of GPs is a national issue that cannot be fixed overnight. However, access to healthcare in this region needs to be urgently improved.  

The recent ‘Fuller Stocktake Report’ sets out that for urgent issues all patients should have access to a SAME DAY healthcare appointment.  

There is currently a huge gap in this service in the north of Central Bedfordshire.  

Patients in Biggleswade, Sandy and Potton who cannot get an appointment with their GP practice have to go to Bedford to access a walk-in clinic. This is over 12 miles and in excess of 30 minutes drive, from Biggleswade. It is almost impossible for those reliant on public transport to get there, particularly out of hours. In the current cost of living crisis the price of a taxi is also prohibitive.  

We call on the Central Bedfordshire Council and the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board to work together to provide a walk-in urgent care clinic for the north of Central Bedfordshire to service the towns of Biggleswade, Sandy and Potton and the surrounding villages.