North Ward at Hinckley and Bosworth Community Hospital will close temporarily to allow essential improvement works that will directly enhance patient safety, comfort, and overall experience.
The decision follows ongoing drainage issues that have left blocked patient and staff toilets on a number of occasions over the past four years. Addressing this problem permanently is critical to ensuring a reliable, hygienic, and dignified environment for everyone using the ward.
The work is expected to take approximately 12 weeks, starting on 29th June 2026, and has been scheduled over the summer period when demand for inpatient beds is traditionally lower. This timing helps to minimise disruption to patients and ensures continuity of care across the wider local system.
During the closure, the 19-bed ward will also be transformed into a more therapeutic and welcoming environment. The ward will be redecorated with dementia-friendly design principles, creating a calmer and more reassuring space for older people and those living with cognitive impairment. Improvements will include calming colour schemes, non-slip flooring to reduce the risk of falls, enhanced lighting to support orientation, and clear, accessible signage to promote independence and confidence.
Additional upgrades will include the replacement of tap fittings and a full modernisation of the fire alarm system, ensuring the ward meets the highest standards of safety and comfort for patients, families, and staff. Around 50 light fittings will be replaced.
The neighbouring 28-bed East Ward has not been affected by the drainage issues and will remain open throughout the works, continuing to provide high-quality care. Patients will continue to receive safe and appropriate care within Leicestershire Partnership Trust’s (LPT’s) wider network of community hospitals across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
North Ward and East Ward both provide sub-acute care, rehabilitation, and end-of-life care, supporting patients at some of the most important and vulnerable stages of their health journey. Sarah Morley, a deputy director at LPT, said: “These improvements will ensure that, when North Ward reopens, it offers a significantly enhanced environment that better supports recovery, wellbeing, and dignity.”
The majority of the £240,000 investment is funded by the NHS, with an additional £16,000 contribution from LPT’s charity, Raising Health, specifically supporting the dementia-friendly enhancements—helping to create a more compassionate, patient-centred space for the future.