Hinckley: Plans for new £14.5m NHS diagnostic centre at hospital
- Published
Plans have been unveiled for a new NHS diagnostic centre in Leicestershire.
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) wants to build the £14.5m facility at Hinckley and District Hospital.
Patients will be able to get health checks, scans and tests closer to home without having to go to a larger hospital, it said.
Health bosses are asking people to give their opinions on the plans.
The government-funded proposal also includes two rooms for carrying out endoscopy examinations, and replacing the existing single endoscopy room, which is "old and requires updating".
The health board is also awaiting news on another £7.35m bid for a day case unit.
If successful, the unit would provide planned surgical procedures in hospital for patients who would then be able to return home on the same day.
Services provided would include general surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedic surgery, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatric surgery, urology and vascular surgery.
The proposals also include moving the physiotherapy facilities from a portable building on the Mount Road site into the Hinckley Hub on Rugby Road, as well as carrying out improvements to the interior of Hinckley Health Centre.
The health board is considering a number of options for how the day case unit is developed.
These include building a new standalone unit, making changes to part of the existing hospital to accommodate the unit, or making the unit part of the new Community Diagnostic Centre.
'Modern facilities'
Helen Mather, associate director of elective care, cancer and diagnostics at LLR ICB, said: "It has also long been recognised that conditions at the hospital, which was built in 1899, are difficult for both patients and staff, with a need for more modern facilities.
"With the recent government investment in new community diagnostic centres, we now have a fantastic opportunity to provide more services closer to patients' homes, in modern, fit for purpose buildings that meet the needs of a growing and ageing population."People have until 8 March to share their views, external.
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