Plans for the new Cambridge Children's Hospital have been approved, with plans to build the ground-breaking new facility in 2026.
The hospital will be the first specialist children's hospital in the East of England, and is being co-designed with the help of children, young people, families and healthcare professionals across the region.
The Outline Business Case for the project has been signed off by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.
Dr Rob Heuschkel, clinical lead for physical health at Cambridge Children’s Hospital, said: "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.
"A huge amount of work has gone into finalising the designs and getting us to this point, and I want to thank our healthcare staff, young people and their families from across the region who have been contributing valuable feedback and helping us shape our plans, right from the very start.
"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."
The approval comes as a programme of groundworks preparing for the build was completed in July.
New access roads have also been installed where the new five-storey, 35,000 sqm hospital will be located - opposite the Rosie Maternity Hospital on Robinson Way and Dame Mary Archer Way.
In the coming weeks, hoardings will be installed around the site of the hospital.
Dr Isobel Heyman, clinical lead for mental health at Cambridge Children’s Hospital said: "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.
"Cambridge Children’s Hospital offers a solution. By delivering holistic care for children, young people, and their families, this not only reduces stigma, but the revolutionary model of care really does act as a blueprint for the NHS and the future of healthcare."
The fundraising campaign for the hospital has now passed the halfway mark, and the project remains on track to meet its £100m target.
The hospital will also house a University of Cambridge research institute, focused on preventing childhood illness and early intervention across mental and physical healthcare.
READ MORE
- South Cambs to benefit from 'Planning Supersquad' government funding
- Barley mum sets up 'Mama's Little Black Book' parenting platform
Professor David Rowitch, clinical lead for research at Cambridge Children’s Hospital, said: "Co-locating research efforts inside Cambridge Children’s Hospital will mean we can detect disease early or even prevent it altogether, personalise health care and prescribe treatments more appropriate for children and their individual health needs.
"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."
Work now continues on the Full Business Case for the hospital - the final stage.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here