Luton and Dunstable University Hospital

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital Luton and Dunstable University Hospital is part of Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Frequently Asked Questions

1. How is the site managed?

This is the official page for Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. You can also visit our website at www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk

Please note that this site is not monitored 24 hours a day and that cannot be used to give medical advice. In a medical emergency you should dial 999 and for non-urgent medical advice you should dial 111. This site does not have a dedicated team to service the enquiries made through it. The staff who post the responses are doing so in addition to their main roles.


2. What can I post on the site? Please remember that Facebook is a public forum and is not the appropriate place for us to discuss specific cases or complaints. In such cases we may message you directly to inform you on how best to resolve your issue. Whilst we encourage healthy debate and appreciate that our users will have opinions on current events, we ask everyone to remember that this site has a large and diverse user base, so please be respectful when making your comments. Our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) is our dedicated department that deals with these enquiries and can be contacted via email at PALS@ldh.nhs.uk


3. What is your deletion policy? Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will remove any comments that are considered to be:

- Offensive
- Abusive
- Threatening
- Deliberately insensitive or inflammatory
- Contain links

We may remove posts that have no connection to the Trust as this site is for local healthcare information. It is inappropriate for us to comment on or host debates about actions being undertaken by other Trusts, other professional bodies or other countries. Where possible we will try to inform a user that their post has been deleted and offer an explanation as to why. However, as this site is not run by a dedicated team, we may not always be able to do this.


4. Why do you mention the names of some patients? Patients that we name in our articles and posts have agreed and signed to do so. Each patient fills out a consent form which must be signed by them and authorised by a responsible clinician if appropriate.


5. How can I contact you if I don’t want to post my questions on here? You can contact the communications team via email at Communications@bedsft.nhs.uk. Again please note that emails are not monitored 24 hours a day cannot be used to give medical advice. Alternatively, you can contact our PALS team (patient advice and liaison service) via email at PALS@ldh.nhs.uk.


6. Key information and advice

You can find out more about our hospital at www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk

Terms

Posts which do not comply with our Facebook terms or are offensive, discriminatory or accusatory will be deleted immediately. Bedfordshire Hospitals is not responsible for content posted up by members of the public or external companies. Our acceptance of their profile is not an endorsement of the content.

Today for , our Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) representative in the Staff Diversity Network, Shirley Wa...
10/12/2025

Today for , our Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) representative in the Staff Diversity Network, Shirley Waldron, shares what the day means to her:

“Human rights, to me, feel deeply personal because they shape the way I move through the world and connect with others. They mean being able to speak my truth without fear, to make choices about my life that reflect who I am, and to know that I am worthy of respect no matter my circumstances.

“When I think about human rights, I think about the small, everyday freedoms which were ill-afforded to my ancestors. Being able to learn, to love, and dream give life its meaning.

“We are lucky to have a Human Rights Act to celebrate and protect our freedom. We only need look at the news today to be reminded that our dignity is tied to the dignity of others, and that protecting these rights is not just about laws, but about treatment in our daily lives.

“For me, human rights means that I belong, that my voice matters, and I share a responsibility to ensure others feel the same.”

Once someone is medically fit to leave hospital, it’s important that they’re supported to do so by their family or next ...
09/12/2025

Once someone is medically fit to leave hospital, it’s important that they’re supported to do so by their family or next of kin. Please help us to support safe hospital discharges.

Chris, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, said: “Our hospitals are incredibly busy at the moment so it’s essential we are able to discharge patients once they no longer require acute hospital medical care to allow us to safely care for new admissions.

“There are a number of things our patients and their next of kins can do to prepare for a timely discharge including getting collected from hospital where appropriate, keeping friends and family actively updated on discharge plans so necessary arrangements can be made for onward care and speaking with the clinical teams about any potential barriers to discharge well in advance so plans can be made accordingly.”

Yesterday, we opened the temporary Ivy Discharge Lounge to support patients from medical and elderly medicine wards who ...
09/12/2025

Yesterday, we opened the temporary Ivy Discharge Lounge to support patients from medical and elderly medicine wards who are ready to leave the hospital and are awaiting ambulance transport or collection by a relative. The lounge has been introduced to help improve patient flow and overall efficiency across the hospital as well as provide a quiet and comfortable space for patients to wait.

The temporary Ivy Discharge Lounge is located on the ground floor of Alder Wing (formerly Women’s and Children’s Unit) and operates Monday to Friday, from 8am to 8pm.

Patients identified as ready for discharge will be transferred from their ward to Ivy Discharge Lounge, creating additional space on the wards.

If you are picking up a relative from the Ivy Discharge Lounge, you can collect in the drop off spaces in St Mary's car park.

We are developing a permanent Discharge Lounge within the St Mary’s building and will share further updates once refurbishment work is completed early next year

Today marks the last day of , and recognises the many individuals across our Trust who are living with loss. Grief is a...
08/12/2025

Today marks the last day of , and recognises the many individuals across our Trust who are living with loss. Grief is a personal experience that can affect emotional wellbeing, sense of meaning, and spiritual life.

Our Chaplaincy Team is available to offer confidential support to patients, families, and staff of all faiths, beliefs, and none. This includes spiritual support, reflective space, and a listening ear for anyone who may find these helpful during times of bereavement.

Please contact our Chaplaincy Team or search ‘NHS grief after loss’ for advice on how to get the support if you need it.

John was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the L&D in March 2025 following a seizure.He is supporting Bedford...
05/12/2025

John was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the L&D in March 2025 following a seizure.

He is supporting Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity Big Give and encouraging others to donate if they can.

“I was probably not the easiest patient as I had three stents inserted around my heart in July 2022 following a severe stroke and heart issues that have kept several hospitals busy since suffering from Covid in 2020.

“I felt the old facilities were poor compared to other hospital ICU areas that I had been taken to. There was no access to outside spaces and little natural light. I had experienced the outside garden at another hospital and found it mentally inspirational and so helpful in my recovery.

“The new unit offers a well maintained green space and it allows you to be alongside nature. It looks very refreshing.

“During my stay, staff were attentive, professional and respectful. They encouraged you at every stage and stepped in when times got tough.

“I urge everyone to contribute even a small amount to this worthy cause.”

Donate today: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000006oXwbYAE?utm_campaign=a05WS000006oXwbYAE

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the L&D received a lovely ‘thank you’ recently. “Special thanks for the amazing care to...
04/12/2025

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the L&D received a lovely ‘thank you’ recently.

“Special thanks for the amazing care to ourselves and our dad from everyone in the new ICU. You were all amazing and so supportive at a difficult time, from reception staff, to the doctors, nurses and everyone else involved. The new facility was fantastic and well laid out. Thank you.”

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand, following a high increase i...
04/12/2025

Luton and Dunstable University Hospital is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand, following a high increase in admissions due to respiratory illnesses, including flu.

During this period, ward visiting may be restricted in some areas. We ask that you contact the ward before attending, and that all visitors wear masks, which are available on the ward.

We are doing all we can to minimise any impact of these pressures on planned care. Patients with appointments at the hospital should continue to attend, unless told otherwise.

Please only attend the Emergency Department if you require urgent and emergency care. Staff continue to work extremely hard to ensure all patients safely receive the care they need, but please be aware there may be extended waiting times.

If you have a minor illness/injury, please consider whether you can access the care you need via your GP, a pharmacist, by using NHS 111 online or via the NHS App.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity is delighted to be taking part in the Big Give to raise funds for the Intensive Car...
02/12/2025

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity is delighted to be taking part in the Big Give to raise funds for the Intensive Care Unit at the L&D!

The money raised from the campaign will be used to enhance the environment in the relative’s room, patient side rooms, visitor reception and staff rest areas at the new unit on Cedar Wing.

A member of staff said: “Your contribution goes beyond bricks and walls. It brings hope, comfort and healing to those who need it most. We are deeply thankful for your support.”

Donate to the appeal using the dedicated link and your donation will be doubled at no extra cost to you: https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS000006oXwbYAE?utm_campaign=a05WS000006oXwbYAE

Find out more: https://www.bedfordshirehospitals.nhs.uk/charity/support-our-appeals/critical-care-balcony-garden/big-give-campaign/

Thank you for your support!

Our Anaesthetics team is advancing the field through engagement and presentations with their peers.During the Associatio...
01/12/2025

Our Anaesthetics team is advancing the field through engagement and presentations with their peers.

During the Association of Anaesthetists Annual Congress, Dr Kalpani Kannangara discussed a complex case of second-trimester bowel obstruction post-bariatric surgery, highlighting critical anaesthetic decisions during pregnancy, supervised by Dr Manoj Sharma.

At the East Anglian Obstetric Anaesthesia Group (EAOAG) event, Dr Rohit presented on anaesthetic management for women in labour with achondroplasia, supervised by Dr Gamal Ahmed.

Drs Nidhi Vedd and Daniel Wirth presented a poster on routine end-tidal CO₂ monitoring during ERCPs under sedation, a patient safety initiative led by Dr Lisa Nicholls.

Keep up the great work team, and thank you for making anaesthesia safer for everyone!

Congratulations to Sadie King, Ward Manager at Bedford Hospital, for being named as Individual of the Month for Septembe...
30/11/2025

Congratulations to Sadie King, Ward Manager at Bedford Hospital, for being named as Individual of the Month for September 2025.

Sadie was nominated for her hard work and organisation to achieve 100% FFP3 mask fit test status for her ward for the past six months.

Congratulations to the Outpatients Reception Team on both sites for being named as our Team of the Month for September 2...
29/11/2025

Congratulations to the Outpatients Reception Team on both sites for being named as our Team of the Month for September 2025.

They were nominated for going above and beyond to help implement a new system which allows the team to efficiently manage each stage of a patient’s journey from a single location.

They assisted doctors and nurses with queries and went out of their way to help each other with the new system. Without their teamwork, the introduction of the new system would not have gone as seamlessly.

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Lewsey Road
Luton
LU40DZ

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