Bedford Borough Council has announced a major funding boost from NHS England for new GP surgeries in Great Barford and Wixams.
Tom Wootton (Conservative), mayor of Bedford Borough, said: “This is fantastic news and represents years of hard work by our Conservative administration to secure the NHS investment our communities deserve.
“Since our 2023 manifesto, we pledged to deliver GP surgeries for our growing villages, and we’re making that happen.
“Great Barford and Wixams residents will soon have modern, purpose-built healthcare facilities on their doorstep with more schemes coming online for Wootton, Bromham, and Kempston.”
For Great Barford, NHS England has increased its contribution from £525,000 to between £600,000 and £750,000, with the final amount to be confirmed by the end of March 2026.
Read: Update given on Wixams GP surgery as £5.5 million allocated to project
This additional funding will cover legal fees and “mitigate potential shortfalls”, ensuring the project can “proceed without delay”.
NHS England has committed between £4 million and £6.9 million from its 2025/26 underspend for Wixams, an increase from the original £600,000 Integrated Care Board capital contribution.
Updated delivery costs
This investment responds to updated delivery costs of £6.9 million and will significantly reduce pressure on other funding sources, including Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy contributions.
The exact NHS England contributions for both projects will be confirmed and transferred to Bedford Borough Council by the end of March 2026, the council’s administration has said.
Once confirmed, refreshed business cases will be presented to the Executive for review, with both projects then “progressing to delivery”.
Read: Great Barford set for modern GP practice as £3.4m plans approved
Cllr Graeme Coombes, leader of the Conservative Group and ward councillor for Wixams and Wilstead, said: “Our community has grown rapidly, and residents deserve excellent local healthcare.
“This funding transforms the project into a fully-funded, deliverable scheme.”
Great Barford’s ward councillor, Philippa Martin-Moran-Bryant (Conservative), added, “I am delighted that we have secured the final piece of funding for the Great Barford GP Surgery.
“It’s been hard won and will be transformative for the residents of Great Barford and surrounding villages.”
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
