22 July 2025
Patients urged to “please use NHS services wisely” ahead of planned NHS…
Patients in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been urged to help the local NHS to preserve care for those who most need it, ahead…
Home >> news >> Reflecting on 2021 – 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, it has been a time of real continued challenge and I know we are not all out of the woods just yet.
Looking back over the year as Director of Adults’ Services in Bedford Borough Council I have found it incredible to see such creativity, care and compassion to support people. We have celebrated this and reflected often to harness the best elements of new ways of working, which have continued to be developed. The collaboration between health and social care services with our partner agencies has also continued to be positive and effective. We have also reached new heights in learning more about the wealth of expertise and important work that exists every day in our local communities and neighbourhoods.
For me, the past year has also again shone a light on the fundamental part social care plays. In moving forward I feel we must continue to make sure that we see the changes needed to ensure that people who work in social care are valued and recognised for all that they do every day to ensure critical supports and services continue to be provided.
As we await news on social care reform we have continued to see workforce challenges, so we continue to work hard to retain our valued and diverse workforce and to support wellbeing. We continue our aspiration to recruit to the wide range of opportunities available across the sector and to work in a co-produced way to shape the future, so people can be supported in a way that fulfils their lives, with those who are entering or already working, in a rewarding and successful career locally. Importantly, I cannot look back on the past year without acknowledging and recognising the critical role that unpaid carers have played day-in-day-out, they have continued to be the backbone. A massive thank you to you all.
There is a lot to be proud of looking back on 2021 and I look forward to the new opportunities 2022 will bring individually and collectively and within the health and care system partnerships.
22 July 2025
Patients urged to “please use NHS services wisely” ahead of planned NHS…
Patients in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been urged to help the local NHS to preserve care for those who most need it, ahead…
22 July 2025
Local residents get answers to their cancer questions at shopping centre events
Hundreds of residents in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have received answers to their questions about cancer and cancer screening, following a series of outreach…
18 July 2025
More than half of local people now have the NHS App on…
More than half of patients in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have now downloaded the NHS App, new figures show. More than half of local residents have now signed up…
18 July 2025
NHS recruitment drive in Luton to support working-class communities
People from working class communities in Luton will be among those supported onto the NHS career ladder, as the Government’s Plan for Change tackles rampant health inequalities and gets Britain working.…
15 July 2025
Tragic death from measles prompts vaccination reminder to families
Parents in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have been alerted to the risk of measles, following reports this weekend that a child has sadly died of the disease in Liverpool.…
9 July 2025
More patients seen at extended-hours clinics in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes
Over 194,000 patients in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes have taken advantage of ‘enhanced access’ appointments at general practices, which offer health services to people outside conventional opening hours. Figures…