1 August 2024

World Breastfeeding Week: give your baby the best start

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated annually worldwide from 1 to 7 August.  This global campaign aims to raise awareness about breastfeeding and its benefits. The event takes place during the first week of August each year, with support from World […]

2 July 2024

University to host theatre performances tackling health and social care workforce shortages

The University of Bedfordshire, in collaboration with Komola Collective, is presenting the Collaborative Targeted Outreach Programme (CTOP) play – an innovative theatre project aiming to demystify and celebrate the health and social care professions and encourage people to think about […]

17 May 2024

GPs use new health data sources to identify patients at risk of disease, leading to earlier diagnoses

GPs in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes are taking proactive steps to prevent disease, thanks to new ways of working which can help clinicians identify people who are at risk of developing prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease – preventing untimely […]

9 May 2024

Bedford Borough residents invited to help shape work to tackle health inequalities

Communities across Bedford Borough have been invited to learn more about a landmark report on health inequalities, as part of a series of events taking place across the local area. The Denny Review, launched as a research project in  2019 […]

28 March 2024

Bedford Warm Homes scheme improves health and reduces carbon emissions

53 households with residents who have a chronic health condition in Bedford Borough have benefited from a local scheme to enhance their domestic fuel efficiency, which will not only improve their health but could also reduce their estimated lifetime carbon […]

6 October 2023

NHS invites people in Luton and Central Bedfordshire for life-saving lung cancer checks

More than 39,000 people across Luton and Central Bedfordshire have been invited for a potentially life-saving free lung check, as part of the biggest programme to improve early lung cancer diagnosis in NHS history. Current and former smokers aged between […]

27 July 2023

Patients to get the help they need more quickly as new Unscheduled Care Hub launched in Bedfordshire

A brand new Unscheduled Care Hub has been unveiled in Luton to support more patients to get the help they need more quickly. Paramedics will be able to transfer suitable patients directly from the Ambulance Service to a community healthcare […]

17 July 2023

Cost of Living Grant helping to reduce food poverty in Bedford

A local charity has expanded a service helping to reduce food poverty in Bedford thanks to a cost of living grant. IMPAKT Food is a community larder currently operating out of Priory Methodist Church in Bedford, that helps to reduce […]

1 June 2023

Cost of living grant helps to support Bedford families

A Bedford charity has been able to provide practical and emotional support to children and families under stress thanks to a cost of living grant fund. FACES provides support to children and families facing various challenges, including mental and physical […]

17 March 2023

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

This week (13-19 March) is Neurodiversity Celebration Week. Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. It is estimated that around 1 in 7 people in the UK are neurodivergent, which is an […]

24 February 2023

Bedford coffee mornings provide people with health and wellbeing advice

New community coffee mornings are providing people in Bedford with the opportunity to access health and wellbeing advice. Taking place on the first Thursday of every month at Christ the King Church Hall in Bedford, the coffee mornings bring together […]

16 February 2023

Bedford Borough Council Launch Cost of Living Grant Fund

A grant-funding scheme launched in Bedford Borough will support 13 voluntary organisations and community groups to help people struggling with the cost of living. Bedford Borough Council is working with Compass Wellbeing and the Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated […]

26 January 2023

Bedfordshire Hospitals’ Midwives win NHS England’s Chief Midwife Officer’s Silver Award

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley–Bent OBE, NHS England’s Chief Midwifery Officer, recently awarded three of our marvellous midwives at Bedfordshire Hospitals these coveted awards. The Chief Midwife Officer’s Silver Award is awarded to midwives in recognition of exceeding the expectations of their […]

24 January 2023

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

Bedford Borough is encouraging residents who have received a letter from their GP inviting them to a cervical screening test, to attend their appointment. Screening helps to detect any pre-cancer changes at an early stage meaning simple treatment can be […]

13 December 2022

Warm Homes Bedford Borough Launched

Bedford Borough residents with long term health conditions could receive free support to help keep their households warm this winter. Warm Homes Bedford Borough has been set up by Bedford Borough Council and NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated […]

1 December 2022

Two COVID-19 vaccination centres in Bedford and Luton to close

As the delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations changes to resemble more closely the delivery of other vaccinations, such as for flu, two vaccination centres in Bedford and Luton will close on 14 December. These are the centres at Bedford Heights, Manton […]

Bedford NHS staff member who reached out to Keeping Well shares her “life-changing” experience

When an NHS staff member says she was close to resigning due to feeling overwhelmed at work, she reached out in time to the Keeping Well BLMK service. She shares the story: “When I reached out to this service, I was at […]

9 November 2022

Putnoe Walk-In Centre Contract extended until March 2024

Putnoe Walk-In Centre will remain open as the contract has been extended to 31 March 2024 by Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (ICB).  The current opening hours for the walk-in centre remain the same. The staff at […]

20 October 2022

Free journeys in vaxi cabs to drive up vaccination rates in Bedfordshire

People living or working in Bedford Borough or Central Bedfordshire who are now eligible for a COVID-19 autumn booster but don’t have access to transport, have been reminded that they can take advantage of the free Vaxi Cabs service to […]

6 October 2022

Newly expanded outpatients area at Bedford Hospital will improve patient experience and help reduce waiting times

From Monday (10 October) Bedford Hospital will begin treating patients in a newly expanded, modern and purpose built facility, which will improve overall patient experience and tackle waiting lists, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is due to the completion […]

4 October 2022

“It’s absolutely brilliant” – new video shows how care home technology is helping staff keep residents safe and well throughout the night.

A powerful story of how technology enabled care supports care home staff to keep residents safe and well at night is the focus of a new video from the National Innovation Collaborative for digital health. The team at Elcombe House […]

25 August 2022

Bear hugs on hand – 30,000 teddies delivered to children at Bedfordshire Hospitals

If you go down to A&E today, you could be in for a fluffy surprise… As all parents know, a visit to A&E can be a scary experience for a child, but Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is set to […]

20 July 2022

Festival-goers Urged to get COVID Jabs

Festival-goers in Bedford will be able to get their COVID-19 vaccinations up to date this weekend (Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July) as the local NHS jabs team visits Bedford River Festival. Among the parades, races, demonstrations and live entertainment, […]

13 July 2022

Kind-hearted colleagues raise money for Bedford Foodbank

As part of a day of celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of local Clinical Commissioning Groups in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, NHS staff used the occasion to support others less fortunate through holding a charity raffle that raised […]

8 February 2022

BLMK NHS staff playing their part to vaccinate residents

In December 2021, NHS staff from Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes (BLMK) were redeployed to the frontline of the vaccination programme to protect vulnerable residents against the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Two colleagues, Helen Barker and Debbie Blake, BLMK Clinical […]

28 January 2022

Dr Vijay Nayar on Bedford Borough cases rising – How to protect yourself and others

Dr Roshan Jayalath on Bedford Borough cases rising – How to protect yourself and others

3 December 2021

Local health system awarded funding to help reduce patient waiting lists.

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System (BLMK ICS) has been awarded funding to help the local health system reduce patient waiting lists which have increased during the Covid pandemic. Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been allocated £5.9 […]

1 December 2021

Reflecting on 2021 – Director of Adults’ Services, Bedford Borough Council

Kate Walker, Director of Adults’ Services, Bedford Borough Council It’s amazing how quickly 2021 has flown by and the ongoing pandemic has continued to be tough for all of us, but for people drawing on and working in social care, […]

14 November 2021

How the Population Health Management approach helped Jane who spent every day in the front room

One of the key reasons I enjoy my role so much is because I get to help people tackle the problems that matter to them. Social prescribers like myself keep a very open mind about anyone who comes to see […]