Town given £7m for GP surgery after 17-year wait

The NHS has announced £7m in funding for a GP surgery in a town development that has been without one for nearly 17 years.

Wixams near Bedford opened in 2009 and has 3,000 homes, but no GP practice.

In December, Bedford Borough Council announced it would also allocate £5m for the surgery.

It is hoped the practice, which is being designed for 15,000 patients, will open by 2029.

The funding was announced at the inaugural meeting of the Central East Integrated Care Board (ICB).

At the moment, half of the residents have to make a 14-mile round trip to Ampthill to see a doctor.

New retail, community and family facilities are also planned for Wixams town centre.

Developers Urban&Civic have been appointed to design the surgery and the new town centre in a project partnered with Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council and the ICB.

The health centre will have a minimum of eight clinical rooms and will be owned by the borough council.

Several local GP practices have informally expressed an interest in running the health centre - but no provider has been chosen.

The public will get a first look at the proposed surgery and town centre plans in mid-April.

It is hoped construction will begin in 2027 and be completed by 2029, the ICB said.

Jan Thomas, chief executive officer, added: "This is great news for patients who have waited for many years whilst the required funding was secured.

"Today we have launched our new ICB, and we look forward to getting on with the delivery: improving patient satisfaction, reducing the time spent waiting for care, delivering more services closer to home, and ensuring the NHS is financially sustainable."

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