Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020 following the merger of Bedford Hospital and the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. Previously the hospitals were run by two separate NHS trusts, Bedford hospital NHS Trust and Luton and Dunstable University Hospitals Foundation Trust. Both hospitals deliver a full range of acute hospital services to a population of around 700,000. The new integrated Trust employs a combined workforce of approximately 8,000 staff, the largest NHS employer in Bedfordshire. The hospitals are supported by an army of 500 volunteers whose invaluable work helps the delivery of services.