Leicester’s acute hospitals and maternity services plans approved by Commissioners

In summary

• Changes at Leicester Royal Infirmary include the provision of a new maternity hospital, also providing a midwifery-led birth centre alongside the obstetric unit. Existing maternity services will be moved from Leicester General Hospital the new hospital. A new Children’s Hospital will also be built, including a consolidated children’s intensive care unit, co-located with maternity services on the Leicester Royal Infirmary site. 
• The maternity unit at St Mary’s in Melton Mowbray will be relocated to a new standalone midwifery unit at Leicester General Hospital; its long-term viability, to be assessed over a number of years. 
• An expanded team of midwives will provide continuity of care throughout pregnancy, provide a home birth service and provide postnatal and breastfeeding support in the community and in people’s own homes. 
• Most outpatient services will be moved from Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital to a new purpose-built treatment centre at Glenfield Hospital.
• A new primary care urgent treatment centre will be created at Leicester General Hospital. Proposals for developing services at the centre will be scoped with further engagement with the public. Services could include observation facilities, a diagnostic service, GP access to imaging facilities, community outpatient services, and additional primary care services to provide family health care. 
• For certain aspects of planned care, the local NHS will make better use of technologies by offering appointments by telephone or video call where appropriate. 
• New care pathways will mean that more people will be able to access more services closer to home in their own communities
• There will be two new haemodialysis treatment units; one at Glenfield Hospital and the second in a new unit to the south of Leicester. There will also be greater use of hydrotherapy pools located in the community.

Read the Decision-Making Business Case

Changes made to proposals as a result of consultation feedback 

• The Ophthalmology service will be maintained at Leicester Royal Infirmary for the provision of a safe service in close proximity of the Children’s Hospital.
• The Brain Injury Unit will relocate from Leicester General Hospital to Glenfield Hospital instead of the Leicester Royal Infirmary, in order to provide more scope if there is an increase in demand.
• The main plastic surgery outpatients and day case activity will remain at Leicester Royal Infirmary to ensure alignment with other adult and paedriatric services. 
• Ear, Nose and Throat Services will be maintained at Leicester Royal Infirmary to minimise clinical risk and negative impact on the workforce.
• Strong views expressed around travel and access have been taken into consideration in the creation of a Travel Action Plan to facilitate ongoing engagement and improvements to travel and access across the three sites. There will be an increase in public car parking at the Leicester Royal Infirmary and Glenfield Hospital sites. A Park and Ride facility is planned for a trial period at  Leicester General Hospital – linking in with the Hospital Hopper bus service.  

You can read the full announcement on the CCG website

The plans will now be scrutinised at a meeting in public of the Joint LLR Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The next such meeting is scheduled for 6 July, although it is not clear at this stage whether the hospital and maternity plans will be part of the agenda for 6 July, or will be timetabled for a future meeting.