Is there a silver lining for Harborough in NHS report?

Community hospitals are slated for closure in Lutterworth, Melton Mowbray and Hinckley.

And there could be a net loss of 300 NHS jobs in the county.

But the leaked NHS proposals seem to contain good news for Market Harborough.

The town looks set to become a health hub for south Leicestershire.

The new £7.8million hospital at the St Luke’s site on Leicester Road will not be affected by the shake-up.

And in fact the NHS could spend a further £8.6 million at the same site in 2018/19.

The document suggests “a proposed refurbishment and extension to create a 21 bed rehab/sub-acute ward” on the Leicester Road site.

The further buildings would replace both the existing Victorian ward on the site, and accommodate the rehabilitation/sub-acute services transferring from Lutterworth Community Hospital.

Hospital campaigner Cllr Phil Knowles said: “It means more than £16 million for Market Harborough altogether.

“I was long promised additional investment, and that seems to have come to pass.”

Sadly, the news is less good in Lutterworth.

The report recommends closing the Feilding Palmer Hospital, which currently deals with rehabilitation and palliative and end of life care.

However by 2019/20 there could be a £1million extension to Lutterworth Medical Centre to accommodate some of the services lost in the community hospital.