DHU Healthcare is providing a new Minor Illness and Injury Service for Rutland from 1 April 2026, enabling patients to get help quickly for urgent but non-life‑threatening health problems.
The new integrated service brings together Oakham’s previous urgent care arrangements into a single minor illness and injury site at Rutland Memorial Hospital in the town. It will offer timely assessment and treatment from 1pm–9pm, seven days a week to people registered with GP practices in Rutland and Leicestershire.
The service will be delivered by DHU advanced clinical practitioners, with support from a GP. It will provide:
- Minor illness booked via a GP practice or NHS 111
- Minor injury walk-ins accepted with same‑day treatment or appointment as clinically appropriate
- Improved access to X‑ray, available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (11am–7pm)
Adele Peck is DHU’s Head of Clinical Services UTCs, she said: “We want to ensure that people living in Rutland have easy access to the right care, in the right place for their immediate health needs. Some urgent care or emergency sites may not offer the most appropriate support for minor or less urgent conditions that this service is specifically set up to treat.
“Our clinicians will provide high‑quality, responsive care for a wide range of illnesses and injuries. The extended X‑ray availability will support fast, accurate diagnosis for patients who need it. It’s about convenience and making sure that together we can make our collective health services more efficient and help people make the right choice about where to receive care.”
Dr Nil Sanganee, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board, added: “This new service will make it easier for people in Rutland to get the care they need quickly, close to home and at convenient times. By booking through your GP practice or NHS 111, you will be directed to the right clinician first time, without the uncertainty of walking into a service that may not be the best match for your needs.”
These improvements support the NHS’s long-term plan and two‑step approach to getting the right help for an immediate health concern:
- Try self‑care first using the NHS App, NHS 111 online, or a local pharmacy.
- If it’s more serious, contact your GP practice or NHS 111.
Patients will continue to be booked into the right service for their needs by contacting their GP practice or NHS 111 when practices are closed.