Council Leader writes to Health Secretary about plans to demolish historic hospital for a new centre

The proposal is to build the Day Case Unit on the existing Hinckley and District Hospital site.

A plan for a new Day Case Unit in Hinckley has been submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB).

The proposal is to build the Day Case Unit on the existing Hinckley and District Hospital site, which means demolishing the Victorian cottage hospital.

In a letter to the Health Secretary, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Leader Cllr Stuart Bray reiterated that he welcomes improved NHS facilities in Hinckley; however, he also expressed concerns about demolishing the Victorian cottage facade.

The Council Leader has asked the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting MP, to extend the funding deadline to enable the local NHS to work with the council and the local community to find a design solution.

Part of the letter from Cllr Bray to the Secretary of State reads: “The plans for the new day case centre include the demolition of the Victorian cottage hospital which has stood on Mount Road in my ward for over a century, and is part of my hometown's heritage. This is causing concern to a number of people and heritage organisations locally.

“I asked the project team whether it would be possible to retain the older parts of the frontage of the hospital and develop the new modern facilities that local residents deserve behind the Victorian facade. The project team were very clear in their response that any delay or changes to their proposed design would mean that funding would be lost and result in no new facilities locally. This would be a disastrous outcome and one which I want to avoid at all costs. They tell me that your department has set a hard deadline of next spring for spending of the budget on this project."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are pleased to be providing more than £7 million for a day case unit in Hinckley which will greatly benefit patients and the community.

“The funding is due to be spent this financial year with delivery scheduled by February 2026.

“Any requests for further funding or to change or delay the scope of the project, would have to be made through the appropriate channels for consideration.”

Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, said, “The NHS has been clear: there is no scope clinically or financially to use the old Cottage Hospital as it stands for the Day Case Unit.

“In a time when the Labour Government is looking to cut back on capital expenditure and NHS Integrated Care Boards are facing cutbacks of 50%, the actions of Cllr Bray are reckless and jeopardise the £10 million funding.

“To ignore the realities facing us and request a delay at such a late stage in the process, after the NHS has put time and money into creating these plans, risks our community losing this funding and access to vital local healthcare services altogether. Is this what the public really want?

“When the Cottage Hospital opened in 1900, it invigorated local healthcare and provided much-needed services to local people of all ages, but it is no longer fit for purpose. These new plans are a continuation of the contribution that the Cottage Hospital has made to the health and well-being of our community since it opened. The NHS is doing their best to incorporate what they can, but at the end of the day it has to be safe for patients and staff. That is non-negotiable.

“An empty building which is unsafe to operate in, as much as we all care for its heritage, serves no one. The best way to honour its legacy is to ensure that day surgeries and procedures can continue on site once again.

“I and, more importantly, the public will rightly hold Cllr Bray and the Liberal Democrats personally responsible if this falls through.”