Cambridge Children's Hospital given green light for next stage

Pre-construction works for Cambridge Children's Hospital can begin on the site of the new hospital, opposite the Rosie Maternity Hospital on Robinson Way, early next year.

The hospital will be the first specialist children's hospital for the East of England and the first hospital designed to truly provide mental and physical health care together, delivered by staff who are trained in both.

Dr Rob Heuschkel, Cambridge Children's Hospital clinical lead for physical health, said: "This is fantastic news for children across the East of England – the only region without a specialist children's hospital.

"We know there is widespread support across the East of England for this hospital – from children and their families to our regional colleagues and our regional MPs.

"Now is the time for us to all work together to turn our plans into reality. I can't wait to get started on the next stage of this Project. "

A concept design of the main garden and play area at Cambridge Children's Hospital. (Image: Hawkins/Brown)

The Project had its Outline Business Case approved in principle by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care on September 29, 2023.

With this approval, subject to a review of the Project's capital funding in April 2024, work can now commence on the Full Business Case for the Project.

The hospital, which was given planning permission in March 2022, is being built on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus but will care for children and young people across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

While the hospital will be built in Cambridge, it will act as a central hub, working with services all over the East of England to provide care and support for children who may never visit the hospital itself.

READ MORE:

• Meet one of the first babies born at Hinchingbrooke​
• Just Stop Oil protester sprays paint over iconic King's College Cambridge gatehouse

The government committed £100m to Cambridge Children's Hospital in 2018 under the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership scheme, and the project is on track to meet its target of an additional £100m of philanthropy and fundraising.

'A long way to go still'

Dr Cathy Walsh, Cambridge Children's Hospital Clinical Lead for Mental Health, said: "There's a long way still to go, but this is an exciting moment in our journey to building a truly integrated children's hospital.

Architect image of the entrance and reception area. (Image: Hawkins/Brown)

"Our young people urgently need a new type of care, delivered by staff who are trained in both mental and physical health care.

"Cambridge Children's Hospital will completely transform the future of healthcare for children and their families from across this region."

A concept design of a universal bedroom (mental and physical health). (Image: Hawkins/Brown)

The hospital will also house a University of Cambridge world-class research facility focussed on detecting and preventing childhood illness.

Professor David Rowitch, Cambridge Children's Hospital Research Lead, said: "Cambridge Children's Hospital will use cutting-edge innovations in genomic science to detect origins of physical and mental health conditions and develop a new model of preventive medicine in paediatrics.

"We will foster game-changing breakthroughs in life sciences research that will have an impact across the globe.

"Together, we can detect childhood disease early or prevent it altogether, personalise health care and deliver it closer to home."

A concept design of the central courtyard at Cambridge Children's Hospital. (Image: Hawkins/Brown)

Members of Cambridge Children's Hospital Network, which is made up of children, young people and parents from across the region, have been a crucial part of designing the future hospital and helping to shape how the facility might look and feel like.

Sarah Cobb, 19, from near Cambridge, has multiple disabilities and is visually impaired. She has been involved in the Project for a number of years.

She said: "As someone with lifelong health conditions, who's spent a lot of time in hospital as a child, a teenager and now a young adult, I'm delighted that Cambridge Children's Hospital has reached this brilliant milestone."