Hospital to turn social club into wellbeing area

The new wellbeing hub will be open to staff members only, but the social club had also been open to non-staff

Staff at a hospital have been told their social club facilities will be turned into a wellbeing hub.

A memo to employees from the Luton and Dunstable Hospital said the trust would take over management of the social club from 1 February 2026.

The internal email said the change was to "safeguard the continuation of the venue as a fit-for-purpose space for staff that supports your health and wellbeing".

Social club steward Paula Weedon said she was unhappy that the decision was made "without staff consultation".

In a statement, Ms Weedon told the BBC it was "a serious breach of trust and transparency".

She said NHS staff had paid into the club every month via salary deductions "for many years".

"The club has been an integral part of staff wellbeing for decades - offering a safe, familiar place to unwind, connect, and support each other, especially through high-pressure periods like the pandemic," she said.

The hospital trust said food would continue to be served, with the hall remaining open for staff to use for activities, meetings, sports and Friday prayers.

It said: "Our plan is to repurpose the existing bar area into a health and wellbeing space for trust staff only, that will give colleagues a chance to take a break from their busy day.

"This means we will no longer operate a working bar or routinely open the club in the evenings."

It said there would still be the option of a temporary bar running during special events such as charity quiz nights, with profits going to the charity.

A spokesperson for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said out of its 9,222 workforce, only 142 staff were members of the social club.

It had been leasing the premises to a management committee that charged a membership fee to staff and non-staff.

"Unfortunately, the trust has received no rental payments in 2025, necessitating us to step in to safeguard the future of the venue," the trust said.

In response, a spokesperson for L&D Hospital Social Club said: "The club did not operate for approximately five weeks earlier this year, due to significant flood damage caused by the trust carrying out maintenance work, which rendered the premises unusable.

"We've kept the trust informed of these challenges."