Case Study: Hinckley Community Diagnostic Centre

Project: Community Diagnostic Centre
Client: University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Location: Hinckley, Leicestershire

Community diagnostic centre

CDC exterior - staff and Darwin Group Team stand in front of the main elevation

Two clinicians sat on a bench outside the CDC

CDC interior - consultation room, clinician at a desk

Clinician treating a patient in a consultation room

Main exterior elevation of the CDC, clad in white paneling, other exterior walls are finished with brick

The challenge

Patients in Bosworth, Hinckley, and the surrounding areas once had to travel as far as Leicester City Centre or even into bordering counties to receive their vital diagnostic tests.

Due to a lack of community health services in Hinckley, patients were being sent far from home to receive scans like CTs, MRIs, Ultrasounds, and X-Rays, as well as for diagnostic services such as Audiology assessments, Dermatology, Endoscopy, and Phlebotomy.

As part of the national NHS England Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) programme, NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR) Integrated Care Board (ICB) applied for and was awarded funding to construct a CDC in Hinckley. This investment in health services is one of only 40 to be awarded nationally by NHS funding in England.

In collaboration with NHS Property Services (NHSPS), University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL), Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, and the MP for Hinckley & Bosworth, Dr Luke Evans (who is also Shadow Health Minister), LLR ICB approached Darwin Group for its expertise in delivering quality healthcare facilities.

Our solution

Darwin Group expertly managed the project from inception to completion, even redesigning initial drawings from another architect so that it could deliver the building via its volumetric modular solutions. Following groundworks, all modules for the site were delivered and installed within the first 90 days.

Working next to the site of what was once Hinckley & District Community Hospital, Darwin Group has now delivered a major hub for the swift diagnosis of serious illnesses and diseases.

The 2,110m² building is now fully operational, providing capacity for 80,000 tests per year across a suite of diagnostic capabilities, including X-ray, CT and MRI scans, endoscopy, ultrasound, and many more.

Paul Jones, Regional Capital Project Lead at NHSPS, who own the new building, said: “It’s fantastic to have delivered this vital community facility on our site in an accessible location so close to the town centre. This new building will provide a step change in the quality and quantity of care that the NHS can provide for the people of Hinckley and the wider area. By supporting earlier diagnosis, improving access to care closer to home, and helping to modernise NHS infrastructure, this CDC directly contributes to the three key shifts outlined in the government’s vision for the NHS.”