'Broken promises' over hospital schemes - councillor

Zuffar Haq says people in Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland have been "let down too many times"

Leicester has had promises broken "by government after government", a councillor has said after plans to rebuild hospitals in the city were delayed.

Zuffar Haq, a Liberal Democrat member of the city council, was responding to news that rebuilding schemes at Leicester General Hospital and Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) have been pushed back by the government to the early 2030s.

Haq said the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland had been waiting for over 25 years for improvements to the city's hospitals.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the previous government's pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030 were not affordable and accused the Tories of offering "false hope".

Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital were included in the Conservative government pledge to build 40 new hospitals by 2030

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said work is expected to start on Leicester General and LRI between 2032 and 2034 at an estimated cost of between £1bn and £1.5bn.

Haq, who has long campaigned for improvements to the city's three hospitals, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We have had promises after promises broken by government after government.

"Our neighbours in Coventry, Derby, Peterborough, and Birmingham have all had the latest state-of-the-art new hospitals.

"Plans for a new maternity facility and children's hospital which part of the previous plans are desperately needed.

"The government must reconsider [delaying the programme further]."

Progress 'at risk'

Richard Mitchell, chief executive of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "While we recognise the financial challenges, we are clearly disappointed by this most recent decision to delay critical and long-awaited investment in healthcare for the people of Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.

"It is too soon to fully understand the impact on our local plans, however we are determined to deliver the transformation our hospitals desperately need and that our communities and colleagues deserve.

"We will work closely with local and national partners to achieve this."

MP for Melton and Syston and shadow health secretary Ed Argar accused the Labour government of putting projects and progress at risk by delaying them.

He called on the government to tell residents when precisely work would start in their area, and when the doors of the transformed centres will "actually be open".

However, the news has been largely welcomed by Dr Luke Evans, Tory MP for Hinckley and Bosworth, who said: "I am pleased and relieved to see that our campaign for the government to re-commit to funding for Leicester's two new hospitals has been successful.

"This much-needed funding means our NHS can now continue to move forward with work for two new hospitals, a midwifery-led unit and multi-storey car park – which will be revolutionary for patients and staff across our area."