Hospital Trusts merge to form Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust and the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have merged to form a brand new Trust.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is responsible for managing services at both Bedford and Luton with each individual hospital retaining its name.

The new Foundation Trust will care for a population of around 620,000 people in and around Bedfordshire.

The organisation will bring together a combined workforce of approximately 8,000 staff and will be the largest NHS employer in Bedfordshire. It will have one Trust board and continues to deliver a full range of services on both sites. This includes retaining key services such as A&E, obstetrics-led maternity and paediatrics at Bedford.

The new Trust said that providing consistent leadership within an integrated Trust is essential as the NHS deals with COVID-19.

The two hospitals already worked together for a number of years in various clinical services such as neonatal intensive care, vascular surgery, oral and maxillofacial (OMF), ear nose and throat (ENT) and stroke services. With an overlap in catchment areas the individual hospitals also have shared links with commissioners, local councils, ambulances and mental health providers.