The Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee of Leicestershire County Council met on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, to discuss a range of health-related topics affecting the Leicestershire community. Key items on the agenda included a petition regarding the potential closure of St Mary's Birth Centre, the new strategy from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, and an update from the East Midlands Ambulance Service. The committee was also scheduled to discuss HIV late diagnosis rates in Leicestershire and the Healthwatch Leicestershire Annual Report.

St Mary's Birth Centre Petition

A significant item on the agenda was the presentation of a petition, signed by over 2,000 Leicestershire residents, regarding the potential closure of St Mary's Birth Centre in Melton Mowbray. The petition, presented by Councillor J. T. Orson CC, highlighted the importance of the centre to expectant mothers across Leicestershire and Rutland, praising its outstanding maternity and postnatal care .

The petition argued that closing the centre would:

• Limit choice for expectant mothers.
• Place additional strain on alternative maternity services.
• Compromise the quality of care, particularly postnatally.

The petition urged the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust to not only reopen St Mary's Birth Centre, but also to revisit the decision to remove our only freestanding midwife-led unit in Leicestershire, and secure its future with adequate staffing and through promoting its services. The petition referenced the 2016 NHS report, Better Births, which suggests that more birthing options lead to better health outcomes for mothers and babies.

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust Strategy

The committee was scheduled to discuss the new strategy from Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT), entitled Together We Thrive . LPT provides mental health, learning disability and community health services across Leicestershire. The agenda included several pages relating to this strategy.

East Midlands Ambulance Service

The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) was scheduled to provide an update to the committee. EMAS covers a wide geographical area, serving Leicestershire and other counties in the East Midlands.

Leicestershire HIV Late Diagnosis

The Director of Public Health was scheduled to present a report on HIV late diagnosis rates in Leicestershire. Late diagnosis of HIV can lead to poorer health outcomes for individuals and increased risk of onward transmission¹.

Healthwatch Leicestershire Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Healthwatch Leicestershire Annual Report 2024/25. Healthwatch is the independent consumer champion for health and social care, and aims to give citizens and communities a stronger voice to influence health and social care services.

Health Performance Report

The agenda included a Health Performance Report, but it was noted that:

This report will not be presented. Instead, members are asked to use it to identify any areas of health performance that require more detailed scrutiny at a future meeting.

Joint Health Scrutiny Committee

The committee was scheduled to note the work programme of the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Joint Health Scrutiny Committee.