The hospital will unite mental and physical healthcare with world-leading life sciences research in a whole new way, treating mind and body as one to help tackle stigma and speed up diagnoses. Staff will care for the Whole Child – their health and well-being, individual educational needs and their family.
The facility will be the first specialist children’s hospital for the East of England; the only region in the UK without one. Bringing together clinical excellence from two NHS Trusts with pioneering research from the University of Cambridge, the new five-storey 35,000sqm hospital will be based at the heart of the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest biomedical campus.
Matt Allen, Director of New Hospital Construction at Cambridge University Hospitals, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Bouygues UK. This is a major milestone in the journey to deliver Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
“Bouygues UK is a first-class contractor with proven expertise in building and delivering excellent healthcare infrastructure within a collaborative environment. This makes them an ideal construction partner to deliver such an important project.
“Together we can now get straight down to work in finalising our design and plans and ensuring best value for money under an initial pre-construction services agreement.”
Bouygues Construction has delivered over 400 healthcare facilities globally, including the major new cancer and surgery centre for the University College London Hospital (UCLH) Grafton Way Building, a complex 13-storey facility with a state-of-the-art proton beam therapy centre. The firm are currently leading the build of Oriel, the joint initiative between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity to build a new integrated centre for advancing eye health in Camden and the new Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex University Hospital. They recently delivered the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory known as the Ray Dolby Centre, pioneering the future of scientific research and innovation.
Children, young people, parents and carers have been and will continue to be at the forefront of shaping how Cambridge Children’s Hospital will look, feel and care. The project’s Youth Forum and Young Adult Forum have been contributing ideas around the design of the hospital, based on their own lived experiences of attending hospital and using mental health services.
Katie Birditt, Chair of the Cambridge Children’s Hospital Youth and Young Adult Forums, said:
“I have been involved in the design journey for a while now and it’s amazing to see this hospital finally becoming reality. Knowing that there will be a place built just for children and young people—where mental and physical health are treated together—fills me with hope. I’m really proud to be part of something that’s going to help so many families in the future.”
Spread over six floors, the hospital will include 108 inpatient beds, 16 paediatric intensive care beds, 42 day-case beds, seven operating theatres, imaging and diagnostics and a hospital school. A world-leading 5000 sqm research institute will be embedded, bringing University of Cambridge researchers and NHS clinicians together in one place, to create a collaborative and multi-disciplinary environment dedicated to improving the health of children and young people.
Professor Isobel Heyman, Clinical Co-Lead for Mental Health for Cambridge Children’s Hospital, said:
“This truly is an exciting moment for the project. We are bringing specialist care closer to home so children and families across the East of England will have better, more equitable access to the care they need – with less time away from school, home and community.
“By collaborating with our research and industry partners on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, we will develop new life science, genomic medicine and data-driven approaches to treat illness earlier and more precisely.
“Many children and young people with mental health conditions also have a physical condition, and vice versa. Cambridge Children’s Hospital will provide a truly holistic approach that currently doesn’t exist in the UK, Europe or anywhere else.”
The hospital has been designed by Hawkins\Brown in partnership with White Arkitekter and Ramboll. Mace Consult is providing project management services on the project with EDGE leading on cost control.
Philippe Bernard, Chair and CEO at Bouygues UK said: “We are honoured to lead on the construction of this pioneering project which embodies our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and building for life.
“We look forward to working closely with all partners to bring this groundbreaking vision to life, setting new standards in healthcare for children."
Plans for Cambridge Children’s Hospital demonstrate the fulfilment of the big shifts in the new NHS 10-year Health Plan. Through its integrated care model and embedded research institute, the regional facility will focus on the prevention and early diagnosis of diseases. The clinical teams also plan to use new technologies for remote consultations and smart monitoring, as well as taking expertise into communities through outreach clinics, or in facilities closer to where families live across the East of England.
Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, the University of Cambridge and Head to Toe Charity are fundraising to secure additional significant donations needed for Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
Following ministerial approval for its Outline Business Case in August 2024, the project team are currently developing the Full Business Case and will now work with Bouygues UK to establish a construction timeline, anticipating that construction will start within the next 18 months.
