The ceremony, at the existing site of the Hinckley and District Community Hospital, marked the start of construction work planned and commissioned by NHSPS – in partnership with Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland ICB – to build a £24.6 million facility, providing CT and MRI scans, endoscopy, X-ray, and ultrasound facilities.
Andrew Strange, Estate Strategy lead for NHSPS said: “This superb new facility replaces a smaller, outdated building, and will enable people to access diagnostic tests much closer to their homes, in a community setting. We’re really excited to be part of it and looking forward to its completion in early 2025.”
Helen Hendley, director of Planned Care for the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB), added: “I would like to thank the project team, including our partners from University Hospitals of Leicester and NHS Property Services, for their dedication in getting us to this stage of the development. We have engaged with local people on our plans over several years, and I am delighted to see our shared vision to transform community health services in Hinckley moving a step closer to becoming a reality.”
The Community Diagnostic Centre will be a purpose-built facility, providing a range of diagnostic checks, scans, and tests, closer to peoples’ homes.
Full planning permission for it was granted by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council after close and proactive working between the NHS and the local Council. Darwin has been appointed to deliver the project, while the University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust has started recruiting staff who will provide services in the CDC when it opens.