New sexual health clinic to open in Leicester's Haymarket Shopping Centre

The new ‘discreet’ facility will take the place of an unused shop unit in the shopping centre.

Leicester city council bosses have revealed plans to open up a new sexual health centre in the Haymarket Shopping Centre.

The new treatment facility will take up space in a disused shop unit in the middle of the Haymarket, which will be situated on the first floor at the top of the main stairs next to the lift.

The council said it has set aside £1.6 million to convert the premises and make it suitable for a sexual health clinic, and says the central location will be convenient for the people of Leicester to access.

The council-run sexual health service is currently located at St Peter’s health centre in Highfields, which the council rents from the NHS for £700,000. The council has been looking for a cheaper alternative in a bid to make long-term savings, and now seems to have settled on the Haymarket location.

The new clinic will feature up to 10 consulting rooms for staff to see and treat patients.

Deputy city mayor Coun Adam Clarke, who leads on public health for Leicester, said:

This is the first stage in our plans to move sexual health services to a much more accessible location. The move will also bring substantial savings in the long term, by dramatically reducing the amount that we pay in rent.

Consultation has clearly demonstrated that the city centre is the right place for this service to be located. The proposed location is discreet but easy to find and it’s suitable in size.

It’s important that we provide a quality service and this investment will allow us to continue to do so.

The current clinic at St Peter’s health centre has approximately 28,000 visits per year – which is over 500 per week.

The city council has submitted a planning application for the scheme which will be considered by its own officers.

Below is an artists impression of how the new ‘discreet’ clinic will look in the Haymarket: