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Construction to begin on dedicated cancer hospital

Cambridge University Hospitals A CGI image of what the new cancer hospital will look like.It is tall and has different brown blocks and panels on its front, as well as many windows. There is a tree in front of the building and people are sat or walking around.Cambridge University Hospitals
Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital will be run by Cambridge University Hospitals

Work to create a dedicated cancer hospital in Cambridge could begin this year, the government announced.

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is due to be built on the city's biomedical campus between 2025 and 2030.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital, near Huntingdon, would also receive up to £1bn as part of improvement works by 2028.

South Cambridgeshire MP Pippa Heylings said she was "hugely relieved" to hear the news on Monday.

Plans for the seven-storey Cancer Research hospital were approved in April 2024, with blueprints showing it would have 77 single rooms for patients.

Leaders hoped it would combine clinical and research expertise under one roof.

Woman with short blonde hair wearing a pink jacket and white top with a green bush in the background
Liberal Democrat MP Pippa Heylings said she was excited that spades would get in the ground

The project stalled under the Labour government so a review of funding and viability could take place, but was confirmed earlier.

"This is extremely important news for us locally, for our region and the whole country," said Heylings, a Liberal Democrat.

The MP said the hospital would help to "rewrite the story of cancer", citing her husband's battle with the disease.

She added: "But we know that a high price is being paid for missed opportunities to prevent, detect and treat cancer.

"That's why it is so important that the government has given it the go-ahead after a period of uncertainty."

NHS An aerial view of Hinchingbrooke Hospital, which is a sprawling campus covered in large buildings. It is surrounded by fields, trees and some houses.NHS
Large parts of Hinchingbrooke Hospital have suffered with a concrete that can crumble

Work has been ongoing at Hinchingbrooke Hospital after a previous survey found reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was present in 75% of the building.

It was revealed in October that staff were being trained on how to evacuate patients if parts of the roof collapsed.

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