A study of attendances at the accident and emergency department at Bedford Hospital

The Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at Bedford Hospital is located at the Ampthill Road entrance to the South Wing site. It is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides a service for patients who are brought in by ambulance, or who have self-referred. The Department serves a catchment area with a population of 271,000 people from North and Central Bedfordshire. Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital have decided to formally collaborate through a proposed merger. This will bring the two hospitals together to manage specialties as a single set of services, but delivered at both hospital sites.

The importance of A&E is acknowledged, because as part of the planned merger A&E together with Paediatric and Maternity Services will be retained at both sites. Healthwatch Bedford Borough (HBB) is obviously aware of the wider implications of the work associated with the ongoing development of the Accountable Care System (BLMK STP). The development of local health provision e.g. GP extended hours, improved patient records, etc. will do much to improve the patient journey.

However, the report which follows, has estimated that around 42% of people presenting at A&E could have been dealt with elsewhere in the wider healthcare system. Healthwatch Bedford Borough hopes that by certain of its recommendations, contained at the end this report, both debate and action will be stimulated to reduce that figure from 42%.