Between August 2023 and May 2024, BLMK ICB (Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board) completed an Outline Business Case (OBC) in relation to potential additional healthcare services in Leighton Buzzard.
On 09 September, the ICB will be talking to local councillors about the latest with this work at the Central Bedfordshire Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. You can read the paper the ICB has submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee here once it has been published. We are keen to keep the local community updated.
The work to develop the OBC was triggered in part by an announcement in February 2023 by Andrew Selous, the former MP for the area, that an agreement had been reached with the (now former) Government that land held by the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC) at Vandyke Road in Leighton Buzzard could be sold to fund additional healthcare capacity in the town.
The ICB had been due to publish the outputs from the Outline Business Case in May 2024. However, the announcement of the General Election meant the publication had to be delayed. The ICB is now working closely with DHSC officials and other relevant local stakeholders to confirm the new Government’s position on the potential sale of the Vandyke Road site. All of the options considered in the OBC are dependent on additional funding being made available ICB through the sale of the Vandyke Road site.
In the meantime, local healthcare providers, supported by the ICB, are working hard to continue to deliver improvements to local services. This includes increasing the primary care workforce, introducing new telephone systems, and improving local healthcare premises.
The ICB also is exploring short-term options for expanding the amount of space available in the town for seeing patients.
We are also pleased to report that Pharmacy First is now available in Leighton Buzzard. Seven local pharmacies are participating and 770 consultations have been completed between January and June 2024.
BLMK Integrated Care Board
August 2024
31 October 2025
Local general practices offer more appointments than the same period last year
The number of appointments available at general practices in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes has shown a further increase. Figures published by NHS England reveal…
27 October 2025
Innovative facial analysis app recognises pain in care home residents
Danecroft is a 34-bed care home in Bedford, predominantly caring for people living with dementia but also other conditions such as Parkinson’s and MS. Since…
24 October 2025
Half term clinics to offer catch-up vaccinations for children
Parents of children who are behind on any of their immunisations have been reminded that there will be an opportunity to catch up on any missed vaccinations during the half…
17 October 2025
Local care providers use digital toolkit to monitor vital signs and prevent…
A remote monitoring toolkit has demonstrated potential for empowering care staff to make data-led healthcare decisions about the people they care for. The Whzan blue box measures vital signs such…
15 October 2025
One in five eligible people has already had their flu jab
One in five people eligible for the flu immunisation in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes has already had their vaccination, new figures show. It’s always a good idea to get…
9 October 2025
Robotic pets comfort Bedford care home residents with dementia
Bedford-based care home residents are reaping the benefits of robotic therapy pets. Hepworth House Residential Care Home has 15 residents and since April 2025, two residents with dementia have been…