In a board meeting earlier today, the NHS Integrated Care Board cancelled the £10m Hinckley Day Case Unit scheme.
This is an incredibly disappointing day for our community. I, like many residents, am angry.
I’ve been proud to work alongside our NHS to secure the £24m Community Diagnostic Centre in Hinckley, which many people are seeing the benefits of, and was over the moon when the Day Case Unit – which would have complemented the Diagnostic unit – was finally given the green light last year.
The NHS's papers are clear: delays by both the NHS and Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, rising costs, new service provision elsewhere and the changing financial context by the Labour Government nationally have all led to the scheme’s cancellation.
I warned the NHS and the Borough Council about delays. My concerns were even dismissed on local radio by Cllr Bray as 'nonsense' and 'mischief'. Now look where we are.
While this is a setback, it is by no means a defeat. The NHS have pledged to use the ring-fenced £2.7m to develop a proposal for the site that meets the needs of people in Hinckley and the surrounding villages.
I will use all my power to convene those with authority to ensure this site stands derelict not a minute longer than it absolutely has to. That money must be spent in Hinckley.
I’ve already contacted our local NHS leaders, the County Council and Borough Council to invite them to an emergency summit so that we can work together on securing the best possible proposal to meet our healthcare needs.”
While the NHS and Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council have a lot to answer for, we must now do everything we can to secure better healthcare.
I have already raised this in Parliament, written to the Health Secretary and look forward to working with local representatives to move forward.
