Hospital is on the road to recovery

Last week planned surgery and other routine services were cancelled when hospital staff were faced with unprecedented demand for emergency care.

An influx of people arriving at A&E meant all beds at the hospital were taken and the numbers of people coming in outweighed those being discharged.

During the rush, hospital staff had volunteered to work overtime and some gave up planned annual leave to help.

A spokesman for the hospital said: “Our staff have been incredible, as always, in rising to the challenge, and we would like to thank them for their ongoing hard work and support.”

Bedford Hospital and Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG) has been working closely with ambulance and social care services, pharmacies and GPs to alleviate the pressure on the hospital.

People are still being urged to use A&E services responsibly. Those without serious illnesses can use other services such as their GP, walk-in medical centres and pharmacists.