Still the primary site for emergency care with significant investment in a new maternity hospital and a new children’s hospital.
Leicester Royal Infirmary will continue to be the main site for emergency care. One of two ‘super intensive care units’ are planned for this site, which will double intensive care capacity, with specially trained staff providing critical care, equipped and designed to closely monitor and treat patients with life-threatening conditions.
The rehabilitation unit for people with a brain injury or problem with their nervous system will relocate to Leicester Royal Infirmary from Leicester General Hospital.
Our proposals include creating a new dedicated maternity hospital providing a safe and sustainable environment for maternity and neonatal services with more personalised care provided by a named midwife, alongside a dedicated children’s hospital.
This will allow obstetric-led births (specialist care of women during pregnancy, labour and after birth) and a co-located midwife-led unit to be with neonatal services (care for premature or ill babies) all in the same building. This means that women could choose a less ‘medical’ delivery, but be close to the staff and equipment that can support them if circumstances make this necessary. It also means that skilled staff and expensive equipment are in one place resulting in a less fragile service when demand is high.
In addition, the facilities will support partners staying overnight and provide a 14-bed facility to help prevent mums being separated from their babies and avoid long term admissions. There would be better use of staff resources to support continuity and one-to-one care. There would be access to neonatal unit facilities for babies that require it, reducing risks associated with transferring premature babies, improving outcomes for premature infants.
The proposal would create a children’s hospital in the current Kensington building. Hospital can be a daunting place for children as they are away from their friends and family in an environment they are not used to. The creation of a new standalone hospital for children and young people would focus on creating a more comfortable environment, a place to play and where they can feel at home. Parents would be able to feel more relaxed knowing that the new hospital environment has been designed for children, giving them a much better experience and easing some of their worries.
The quality of the patient environment within the Leicester Royal Infirmary would be welcoming and suitable for patients, visitors and staff. This would start when people arrive, with additional accessible car parking being created. A welcome centre would improve the experience of people getting around a very busy and complex building.
An improved patient environment would also benefit staff in their day-to-day work, delivering high quality care, from cleaners to consultants and porters to nurses. It is expected that staff will be retained for longer and more skilled staff will be attracted to work at Leicester’s hospitals.
Summary of key changes proposed for Leicester Royal Infirmary
- Building of a new maternity hospital with an obstetric (doctor) led inpatient maternity service. A shared care unit with midwives and doctors
- A midwifery birth centre provided alongside the obstetric unit
- Refurbishment of the Kensington building to create a new children’s hospital including a consolidated children’s intensive care unit
- Expansion of a super intensive care unit
- Refurbishment of four wards to re-locate adult inpatient services
- Creation a new gynaecology inpatient day case and outpatient service through refurbishment
- Expansion of parking facilities, for example, additional levels on the multi-storey car park
- Creation of a new welcome centre
To view the consultation documents please click here
