Central Bedfordshire has circa 305,480 patients registered across its 26 GP Practices.
Over half of the population in Central Bedfordshire live in rural areas and the remainder in market towns. The area is generally affluent but there are some areas of deprivation.
Central Bedfordshire’s People
Central Bedfordshire is a mix of rural villages and small market towns and is the least ethnically diverse of Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.
Population projections: The total population of Central Bedfordshire is set to increase by 22.6% by 2031. In line with national trends the biggest rate of increase is expected in older people. While the actual number of older people will remain relatively small, the increased proportion will have implications for the provision of health and care services.
Central Bedfordshire’s Health
Life expectancy is better than the national average at 81.4 years for males and 84.4 years for females.
There are some pockets of deprivation mainly around Sandy, Houghton Regis and Dunstable. Comparing the most and least deprived areas of Central Bedfordshire, there is a life expectancy gap of 6.7 years for men and 5.8 years for women.
In deprived areas of Bedfordshire, early death is mainly due to cancer, circulatory and respiratory diseases.
Compared to similar areas, more people die early from heart disease in Bedford Borough and from breast cancer in Central Bedfordshire.
Central Bedfordshire’s priorities
Our place partners’ priorities are set out in place and health and wellbeing plans, and they align closely with our Health and Care Partnership priorities. View the strategy.
Live Well: Everyone has the right and opportunity to live their healthiest life, with support and infrastructure to make healthy choices easier, and services that are available and accessible to all.
Age Well: Everyone can age well, with support to retain independence and access services; understanding the changing needs of older people, and shaping services to meet those needs.
Reducing Inequalities: ensure everyone can access the services they need, while working to address wider determinants of health, to give everyone the best possible outcomes.
Read more about our priorities and enablers
What success looks like
- Improved overall health and social wellbeing
- Better identification and earlier intervention with Children and Young People mental health teams
- Appropriate primary care attendance for review and measurement
- Increase use of the skills of the wider PCN team to reduce demand in the system
- Proactive referrals into the system partner services
