Glenfield Hospital aerial view
Glenfield Hospital (Aerial View)
This is Glenfield Hospital on the north-west side of Leicester, one of the three main hospitals that make up the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The site you see here began to take shape in the mid-1980s, built in phases to provide a modern centre for specialist cardiac and respiratory care. The first major buildings opened in 1984 and were formally launched in 1986, with a second construction phase completed towards the end of that decade.
The hospital sits on land that has a longer history than its modern appearance suggests. Part of the grounds once formed the estate of Leicester Frith, whose Victorian mansion still survives on the right-hand side of the image. That building dates from around 1870 and was used for many years as part of a mental health institution, even caring for soldiers suffering shell shock after the First World War. Over time the expanding hospital campus absorbed the surrounding estate.
Today Glenfield is best known as a major specialist centre rather than a typical general hospital. It handles advanced cardiology, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, respiratory medicine, cystic fibrosis care, vascular services and imaging, along with several linked children’s and adolescent services. It routinely receives tertiary referrals from a wide region, and has developed an international reputation for its expertise in heart and lung disease. The site typically provides around 400–420 inpatient beds.
Several key wards and departments lie within the white-roofed blocks at the centre of the photo: cardiac operating theatres, intensive care units, respiratory wards, catheter laboratories, diagnostic imaging and clinical research units. The helipad is prominent on the left, positioned for rapid access to the specialist teams. The large plant building with chimneys near the centre provides power, heating and medical gases across the site.
Glenfield, together with Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General, forms the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, which is responsible for the administration, staffing and strategic planning of the city’s hospital services. The trust is one of the largest in the country, employing many thousands of staff and treating well over a million patients across its three sites each year.
Looking ahead, Glenfield is part of a major multi-hundred-million-pound redevelopment planned for Leicester’s hospital network. The long-term vision includes reconfiguring services across the three hospitals, updating older buildings, expanding specialist care and modernising the estate to support research and teaching. While some services may move between sites, Glenfield’s specialist role in heart and lung care is expected to remain central to the trust’s future plans.
A fascinating blend of Victorian legacy and modern medical engineering, Glenfield Hospital is one of the UK’s notable centres for advanced cardiothoracic and respiratory care — and from the air, its scale and complexity are unmistakable.
Glenfield Hospital aerial view
Glenfield Hospital (Aerial View)
This is Glenfield Hospital on the north-west side of Leicester, one of the three main hospitals that make up the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The site you see here began to take shape in the mid-1980s, built in phases to provide a modern centre for specialist cardiac and respiratory care. The first major buildings opened in 1984 and were formally launched in 1986, with a second construction phase completed towards the end of that decade.
The hospital sits on land that has a longer history than its modern appearance suggests. Part of the grounds once formed the estate of Leicester Frith, whose Victorian mansion still survives on the right-hand side of the image. That building dates from around 1870 and was used for many years as part of a mental health institution, even caring for soldiers suffering shell shock after the First World War. Over time the expanding hospital campus absorbed the surrounding estate.
Today Glenfield is best known as a major specialist centre rather than a typical general hospital. It handles advanced cardiology, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, respiratory medicine, cystic fibrosis care, vascular services and imaging, along with several linked children’s and adolescent services. It routinely receives tertiary referrals from a wide region, and has developed an international reputation for its expertise in heart and lung disease. The site typically provides around 400–420 inpatient beds.
Several key wards and departments lie within the white-roofed blocks at the centre of the photo: cardiac operating theatres, intensive care units, respiratory wards, catheter laboratories, diagnostic imaging and clinical research units. The helipad is prominent on the left, positioned for rapid access to the specialist teams. The large plant building with chimneys near the centre provides power, heating and medical gases across the site.
Glenfield, together with Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General, forms the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, which is responsible for the administration, staffing and strategic planning of the city’s hospital services. The trust is one of the largest in the country, employing many thousands of staff and treating well over a million patients across its three sites each year.
Looking ahead, Glenfield is part of a major multi-hundred-million-pound redevelopment planned for Leicester’s hospital network. The long-term vision includes reconfiguring services across the three hospitals, updating older buildings, expanding specialist care and modernising the estate to support research and teaching. While some services may move between sites, Glenfield’s specialist role in heart and lung care is expected to remain central to the trust’s future plans.
A fascinating blend of Victorian legacy and modern medical engineering, Glenfield Hospital is one of the UK’s notable centres for advanced cardiothoracic and respiratory care — and from the air, its scale and complexity are unmistakable.