Groundwork is now officially underway on a new £12.8 million Urgent Treatment Centre at Leicester Royal Infirmary, bringing plans for future hospital facilities closer to reality.
The site has been prepared, hoardings installed, and excavation work has begun to lay the foundations for the new centre, a visible and significant step forward in transforming urgent care services for patients across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland.
The new UTC, first announced in December 2025, is expected to open in 2027. It will replace the existing Minor Injuries and Minor Illnesses (MIaMI) unit with a modern, purpose‑built facility designed around the needs of people requiring same‑day treatment for urgent but non‑life‑threatening conditions.
Planners say the centre will offer a more efficient, accessible, and patient‑focused environment, helping ensure people are treated in the right setting without unnecessary pressure on emergency departments.
The UTC forms a key part of the wider future hospitals programme, which is focused on modernising hospital infrastructure and ensuring services are fit for the needs of patients now and in the decades ahead.
As construction progresses, patients, visitors and staff can expect to see ongoing changes across the Leicester Royal Infirmary site as enabling works continue.
The scheme complements £39 million of funding secured in December 2025 from the national New Hospital Programme, which will fund essential enabling works beginning this year.
These works include the planned relocation of services such as the hearing and balance service from the Knighton Street campus to the East Midlands Planned Care Centre, scheduled for early 2027.
The changes will support longer‑term plans for a new Women’s and Children’s Hospital, with construction expected to begin in 2032. The new hospital will bring maternity, neonatal, gynaecology and children’s services together in a single, state‑of‑the‑art building.
University Hospitals of Leicester Chief Executive, Richard Mitchell, said:
“The start of groundwork on our new Urgent Treatment Centre is a really important and exciting moment for our Trust and for local communities. Seeing activity on site brings this investment to life and demonstrates our commitment to improving urgent care. This new facility will support our colleagues and significantly improve the experience for patients when they need us most.”
The new UTC adds to a period of significant investment across local hospitals over the past year.
Recent developments include the East Midlands Planned Care Centre and Endoscopy Unit at Leicester General Hospital, the Preston Lodge rehabilitation unit in North Evington, and the Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre.
Together, these projects are helping bring high‑quality care closer to where patients live, improve access to services and support the government’s 10‑Year Plan for the NHS.
Construction work on the Urgent Treatment Centre is being delivered by Henry Brothers, one of the UK’s leading construction companies.
Image credit: iStock
