£300mn Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital gets the go-ahead

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The government has given the £300 million Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) the go-ahead to begin the construction procurement process. On schedule to start in late 2023, the seven-story, 26,000 square metre building will be located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus near Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

The government’s New Hospital Program has granted the project the go-ahead to solicit expressions of interest from the building sector. CCRH is a collaboration between Cambridge University Hospitals, the University of Cambridge, and the government’s New Hospital Programme to construct a new regional cancer hospital. It was designed by US architect NBBJ. Three new research institutions will be combined with NHS clinical space to fulfil the goals outlined in the government’s Life Sciences Strategy and the NHS Long Term Plan.

Despite all the rhetoric about the government’s intention to construct additional hospitals, funding for these projects has not yet been established. CCRH is looking for charitable assistance to make it happen. In order to raise money for the research, the University of Cambridge is collaborating with Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.

The Department for Health & Social Care, NHS England, and NHS Improvement approved the strategic outline case, the first stage of CCRH’s business case, in November 2021. This project received government support as part of the 40 new hospital construction projects envisioned for 2030.

This fall, the CCRH project plans to submit the outline business case, the next step in the business case process.