NHS cost cutting plan: Leicestershire community hospitals to close with job losses possible

Several community hospitals are to close along with a county birthing centre under radical plans to cut NHS costs across Leicestershire and Rutland.

The sustainability and transformation plan (STP) published on Monday is aimed at slashing £400 million from the health budget over the next five years. It is estimated 1,500 hospital jobs will be lost by 2020 but the number of health workers in the community will go from 2,271 whole time posts to 2,505.

The number of acute hospital beds will be slashed from the current 1,940 to 1,697 by 2020.

Leicester’s hospitals will move its services on to the Leicester Royal Infirmary and Glenfield Hospital sites. Hospitals set to fall victim to closure are Hinckley and District Hospital, which officials say is not “fit for purpose” to provide modern healthcare. Instead, some services will be relocated to Hinckley health centre.

Full story in The Leicester Mercury, 21 November 2016