Town centre site identified for new Crewe Health and Care Hub

Land has been identified in the centre of Crewe for a proposed new Integrated Community Diagnostic Centre and Neighbourhood Hub, bringing more health and care services closer to the communities of south Cheshire.

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has approached Cheshire East Council regarding part of its ‘meanwhile space’, which is located adjacent to Crewe bus station and multi-storey car park.

The council will consider this proposal at a future Cabinet meeting and recognises the benefits the potential development could bring to Crewe town centre, and to public health.

The proposed centre would bring diagnostic testing, outpatient care, and neighbourhood services together in an accessible community location. These services could include Medical Imaging, such as MRI and ultrasound, cardiac testing, breast screening, and blood tests.

The added benefit of the proposed facility is that it would reduce the need for thousands of patients from across the region to travel to Leighton Hospital each year, which in turn would reduce the pressure on the existing site, including parking.

The Trust’s Board has also approved the next stage of development, and national NHS Capital funding has been secured for planning and design work. The programme remains subject to a full business case, detailed design, affordability checks, and formal approvals.

The proposal builds on years of NHS planning, population health evidence, and feedback from patients, staff, communities, and partners through the Trust’s Healthier Futures programme and work to develop the new Leighton Hospital. The proposal is being developed as part of the national commitment to increase Community Diagnostic Centres and moving care closer to home.

Megan Nurse, Chair of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“The Trust currently operates a Community Diagnostic Centre at the Victoria Infirmary in Northwich. Since it opened in 2022, it has made a significant impact by providing easier access to range of vital services for thousands of patients each year. 

"This new proposed Integrated Community Diagnostic Centre and Neighbourhood Hub will build on that success, and support the ambitions set out in the Trust’s new 10-year Healthier Futures strategy by improving access to healthcare closer to where people live and reducing reliance on hospital-based services at Leighton Hospital. 

“This milestone enables the next stage of detailed planning and development of the full business case. The Trust’s Board will consider that business case in the new year to fully assess its affordability, sustainability, and the benefits it would deliver for patients and communities.”

Russ Favager, Senior Responsible Officer for Healthier Futures and Estates Redevelopment, said:

"The proposal is an important part of creating a more connected and sustainable model of care across Mid Cheshire. The town centre location, close to the bus station and multi-storey car park will make services easier to reach and reduce the need for many patients to travel to Leighton Hospital. Our ambition is to bring more planned tests, outpatient appointments, and neighbourhood services closer to where people live, while enabling the hospital to focus on care that can only be delivered in an acute setting. 

“Final decisions around the detailed design, service model and funding have not yet been made. We will continue to develop the plans through clinical evidence, detailed analysis and feedback from people, staff, and partners.”

Councillor Michael Gorman, Cheshire East Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economic development and regeneration, said:

"This is a really exciting proposal and reflects the confidence that our partners have in Crewe's future.

"The council has long recognised the opportunity for healthcare facilities to play a key role in the ongoing regeneration of the town centre. While there is still considerable work to do, including a decision on the plans at Cabinet this winter and seeking the necessary planning approval, we can already see the positive impact this investment could have on the health of local people, bringing more people into the town centre, and the continued growth of Crewe."

• The proposed Integrated Community Diagnostic Centre and Neighbourhood Hub is currently in the development stage. 

• The project is progressing through business case development and has not yet received final approval for construction or a final service model. 

• The programme forms part of the Trust's wider Healthier Futures strategy and complements plans for a new Leighton Hospital. 

• Future engagement activity will help test, refine and strengthen the emerging model and ensure local people continue to influence its development.