logo
Plans for Hinckley and District Hospital centre approved despite concerns

Plans for Hinckley and District Hospital centre approved despite concerns

BBC News19-07-2025
Construction of a new £10.5m medical facility at a hospital in Leicestershire can go ahead after receiving planning permission.The NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (LLR ICB) will build the day case unit on the existing Hinckley and District Hospital, in Mount Road.It comes despite calls from Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council's leader to preserve the historic Victorian frontage of the hospital, which will be demolished as part of the development.The authority's planning committee granted planning permission on Tuesday - subject to a review of the hospital's listed building status, which was upheld on Thursday, meaning the development can go ahead.
The review of the listed status was carried out by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.A spokesperson said: "Following a request to review the decision not to list the Victorian cottage hospital in Hinckley, it was decided that it did not meet the criteria for listing and the decision was upheld."The new facility is designed to deliver services including gynaecology, urology and plastic surgery and will be linked to the new community diagnostic centre at the site.
'Greatly benefit patients'
In a letter, council leader Stuart Bray said he "warmly" welcomed improved NHS facilities in the town following decades of campaigning, but urged the board to "look at the plans again".A council motion urged the applicant to "look for ways to work with local heritage groups and others to seek to preserve as many heritage features as possible".Dr Luke Evans, Conservative MP for Hinckley and Bosworth, said: "In just a few short weeks, we have seen what a difference the £24m community diagnostic centre has made to people across our area, who can now get their tests, scans and checks right here in Hinckley."I know how important access to local healthcare is for people and families across our community, and look forward to seeing this exciting investment take shape now it has the green light."Toby Sanders, interim chief executive of the LLR ICB, said he was "absolutely delighted" the plans could now move forward."The development of the day case unit is the second phase of our development for Hinckley and will cater for a wide range of clinical specialities in modern facilities," he said.A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care added: "As part of the 10-year health plan, we want to shift healthcare out of hospitals into the community, to ensure patients and their families receive personalised care in the right place, at the right time."We are pleased to be providing more than £7m for a day case unit in Hinckley which will greatly benefit patients and the community."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gonorrhoea at all-time high as NHS rolls out 'world first' treatment
Gonorrhoea at all-time high as NHS rolls out 'world first' treatment

Scotsman

time19 minutes ago

  • Scotsman

Gonorrhoea at all-time high as NHS rolls out 'world first' treatment

Cases of gonorrhoea are at the highest levels since records began 🚨 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Sexual health clinics will now be able to offer a free vaccine to patients at highest risk of gonorrhoea. The 4CMenB vaccine will help protect those most at risk of gonorrhoea — potentially avoiding up to 100,000 infections. Diagnoses of gonorrhoea have reached their highest levels since records began. A new vaccine will be offered to those at most risk of gonorrhoea, in a world first from the NHS. Cases of gonorrhoea are at the highest levels since records began, with 85,000 cases of the disease reported in England in 2023, three times higher than that of 2012. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This vaccine will protect thousands of people and help combat increasing levels of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease. The 4CMenB vaccine, which will be available from August 4, will help protect those most at risk of gonorrhoea. Potentially avoiding up to 100,000 cases of the infection, while easing pressure on vital NHS services. Sexual health clinics will now be able to offer a free vaccine to patients at the highest risk of Gonorrhoea. | Pexels, Chokniti Khongchum Consultant Epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, Dr Sema Mandal, said: 'This rollout is hugely welcome as we're currently seeing very concerning numbers of gonorrhoea, including even more worryingly antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. The vaccine will give much-needed protection to those that need it most - making the UK a world leader in the fight against gonorrhoea. 'Sexually transmitted infections aren't just an inconvenience – they can have a major impact on your health and your sexual partners, so if offered, I strongly urge you to get these jabs; you'll be protecting yourself as well as others. Don't put it off and regret it later.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad What are the symptoms of gonorrhoea? Not everyone will experience symptoms of gonorrhoea. If you do have symptoms, they will usually start around two weeks after being exposed, although they sometimes do not appear until months later. Symptoms of gonorrhoea, according to the NHS, can vary depending on where you have the infection. Symptoms of gonorrhoea in a woman can include: a yellow or greenish discharge from your vagina burning pain when you pee pain in your lower abdomen bleeding between your periods (this is rare) Symptoms of gonorrhoea in a man can include: burning pain when you pee fluid or discharge coming out of your penis sore testicles Gonorrhoea can affect other parts of your body that come into contact with semen or vaginal fluid. This can cause: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad pain, itching and discharge from your anus (bottom) a sore throat eye redness, pain and discharge What is 'super gonorrhoea'? 'Super gonorrhoea' refers to gonorrhoea strains that are resistant to antibiotics, making them harder to treat. Whilst still rare, concern has been growing about their prevalence. Between June 2022 and May 2024, 15 drug-resistant cases were detected in England, including five that were found to be extensively drug-resistant.

Letby babies could have survived with better medical care, claims expert
Letby babies could have survived with better medical care, claims expert

Telegraph

time19 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Letby babies could have survived with better medical care, claims expert

Babies who died at Lucy Letby 's hospital may have survived with better medical care, a leading child expert has said. In a new ITV documentary about Letby's case, Prof Neena Modi, of Imperial College, said she had examined medical notes and concluded that critically ill babies had not been monitored or treated appropriately. Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders for killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. But Prof Modi, a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the babies should never have been admitted to the ill-equipped and understaffed neonatal unit. 'On reading through the detailed medical notes, what was harrowing was seeing a story unfold where possibly things could have been recognised earlier and interventions could have been put in place, and perhaps for some of the babies, the outcomes might not have been what they were,' she said. 'This was deeply distressing. This was a neonatal unit that was being required to look after babies who should not have been cared for there. 'The babies that we're referring to were all extremely vulnerable. Some of them were demonstrably and recognisably on a knife edge. 'Others could have been recognised to have been on a knife edge, but they were not monitored appropriately, and they were not treated appropriately. 'Problems went unrecognised until the point at which a baby deteriorated very abruptly. So the babies might not have died had their difficulties been addressed earlier.' Prof Modi is part of a panel of world-leading experts who have challenged the verdicts and who have compiled a report that has been presented to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which looks into potential miscarriages of justice. The CCRC is expected to report back before Christmas. The documentary also heard that test results which the prosecution relied on to prove that several of the babies had been poisoned with insulin were not fit for purpose. Prof Matthew Johll, a forensic chemist from Illinois Valley Community College, said that an immunoassay test should not have been used to convict Letby without follow up forensic testing to rule out a false positive. 'You would not strip a gold medal from an international athlete on an immunoassay,' he said. 'It's not good enough for drug testing for pilots or anyone who has mandatory drug testing. So how can it be good enough to put someone in prison?' Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt? is currently available on ITVX. The show's producers said: 'After two trials, nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of killing seven newborn babies and attempting to kill seven others in one of the most shocking murder cases in British history. 'Described as a cold-blooded, calculating killer, Letby was said to have used her trusted role to cause catastrophic harm to the most vulnerable newborn babies. 'So why are a growing number of expert voices now questioning the evidence used to convict her? This programme explores the views of a team of international scientists who say the prosecution case simply doesn't stand up to scrutiny.' Letby could also face further charges. In July, Cheshire Constabulary passed a new file to the Crown Prosecution Service relating to new baby deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital between 2012 and 2016. The CPS confirmed that it had received the file and said it would 'carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any criminal charges should be brought'. Cheshire Constabulary is also investigating three former managers from the Countess of Chester over allegations of gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter.

I found it agonising to quit smoking. So why are people ignoring the new treatments on offer?
I found it agonising to quit smoking. So why are people ignoring the new treatments on offer?

The Guardian

time19 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

I found it agonising to quit smoking. So why are people ignoring the new treatments on offer?

If there was a five-minute nuclear warning, I'd run straight to my local shop and buy a pack of cigarettes. Even now, after all these years. I stopped more than a decade ago – note that I say 'stopped' rather than 'gave up' because the latter implies a sacrifice, and I have been brainwashed (OK, hypnotised) not to use the term. But you are never really a non-smoker. You are just a smoker who is currently not smoking. In your soul, you are forever one of the people who leave the table after eating to go and have a conversation outside, even if you physically stay put these days. So, as someone who found it difficult to quit, it's baffling to hear that although two stop-smoking medications have been available in the UK since 2024, only 0.2% of those attempting to give up have used them, according to an analysis of NHS data on smoking in England. Cytisine (which also goes by cytisinicline) is a plant-based product that has been used in eastern Europe since the 70s and may appeal to those who prefer a natural option over a synthetic drug. It mimics the effects of nicotine, and tricks your brain into thinking you've had a cigarette. Varenicline – withdrawn in 2021 over concerns about impurities, but now reformulated and rereleased – can apparently reduce the urge to smoke, make you enjoy it less when you do and ease withdrawal symptoms. I tried everything when it came to my struggle with Silk Cut. Patches, gum, lozenges – I carried on smoking while I wore, chewed and sucked them all. I read the world-famous success story The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr (no, not that one). I attended the NHS in-person sessions, three times, to no effect. I was a triple failure, and oddly proud of it for a reason I still don't quite understand. I had neurolinguistic programming, where the man shook my hand as he greeted me, asking, 'And how long was it that you smoked for?' 'Oh, I still smoke now. I just had one outside,' I volunteered cheerfully. He tutted and told me that for some clients, talking about smoking in the past tense like that was all it took. I scoffed at those weaklings as I walked to my train afterwards – in a cloud of smoke, obviously. The closest I came to victory back then was a hypnotist recommended by a friend, with the caveat that he sounded so much like Cliff Richard it was hard to take him seriously. She didn't mention that he worked out of an extremely insalubrious portable cabin at the back of a building site. As I knocked on the tin-can door (while simultaneously putting out yet another last ever cigarette), I reasoned that if he murdered me, I would technically have given up smoking, therefore this would have been a success. Reader, he did not murder me. In gentle, dulcet tones, he told me I felt sleepy, while I felt embarrassed for him because I definitely wasn't hypnotised. When he 'brought me round' he asked me how long I thought I'd 'been under'. I'd been thinking about what to have for dinner the whole time, so stifled a giggle as I told him: about 10 minutes. He replied that it had been two hours. The next morning, it occurred to me that I hadn't even thought about smoking, let alone done it. Thrilled, I sent another friend, who had the same experience. However, a year later, almost to the day, we both started smoking again. I went back for a do-over but it didn't work. In the end, I probably spent about as much on trying to stop smoking as I had on cigarettes, and the thing that finally worked was free: boring old willpower. It was agony. Personally, I would have bitten the doctor's hand off if they could have given me a treatment that worked. And while of course no treatment is 100% effective, as I found out, stopping smoking is hard and gruelling. The more options people have, and the more visible and accessible these options are, the better. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store