Cambridge Children’s Hospital gets green light for construction
Government approval means the new hospital could start being built in 2026
Plans for Cambridge Children’s Hospital have taken a major step forward after the government approved the Outline Business Case. This approval allows the project to move on to choosing a contractor to build the hospital, which is expected to start in 2026.
This decision follows a thorough review process by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, and HM Treasury. The plan was first approved in principle in September 2023, but it needed a final review, which was completed in April 2024. The final sign-off came in August 2024, confirming the project has the necessary funds and will meet the healthcare needs of children in the East of England.
Dr Rob Heuschkel, Clinical Lead for Physical Health at Cambridge Children’s Hospital, welcomed the news, saying, “We are absolutely delighted that we can now move forward to enter contracts with a construction partner, so we can finally start to see work happening on site. The East of England is the only region in the UK without a specialist children’s hospital, and we look forward to changing that very soon.”
Preparations for the hospital are already underway, with groundworks completed in July and new access roads installed at the site, located opposite the Rosie Maternity Hospital. Hoardings around the site will soon be put up as the next visible step in the development.
Dr Isobel Heyman, Clinical Lead for Mental Health at Cambridge Children’s Hospital, highlighted the importance of the project, stating, “This really is fantastic news and an exciting moment in our journey to build a truly integrated children’s hospital for the East of England. The current model of mental health care is inadequate. Many children with physical ill-health also have significant mental health needs, and vice versa."
The hospital will be the first in the UK designed to bring together mental and physical healthcare for children and young people. It is being designed with input from children, families, and healthcare professionals to ensure it meets their needs.
The project’s fundraising campaign has already raised more than half of its £100 million target. The hospital will also include a research institute to study and prevent childhood illnesses, working closely with the University of Cambridge.
Professor David Rowitch, Clinical Lead for Research at Cambridge Children’s Hospital, explained, “By bringing clinicians and patients together with University of Cambridge investigators and industry partners, we aim to shift the medicine paradigm from traditional reactive approaches to one based on early detection, precision intervention, and disease prevention.”
He added, “We’ll also be able to foster collaborations to advance the power of advanced diagnostics, digital and telehealth technology to support healthcare professions from a distance, to deliver care closer to people’s homes, wherever they live in our region.”
The project is a partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of Cambridge. The team is now working on the final stage of the business case to fully secure the project’s future.