Cambridge Children's Hospital
The East of England is the only region in the UK without a specialist children’s hospital.
A triumvirate partnership made up of, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and the University of Cambridge is working to change that.
Cambridge Children’s Hospital will redefine how we care for children and young people. It will unite mental and physical healthcare with world-leading life sciences research in a whole new way, treating mind and body as one.
The future hospital will provide specialist care for every child and young person in the region, in modern, state-of-the-art facilities designed with children and families in mind. It will be based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, opposite the Rosie Hospital.
CPFT’s child and adolescent acute mental health wards on the Ida Darwin Hospital site will move into the new building.
The design
Spread over five floors, the hospital will have:
- 160 beds.
- 72 inpatient beds.
- 16 beds for paediatric intensive care and high dependency unit.
- 38 day-case beds.
- 36 mental health inpatient beds.
There will also be seven dedicated operating theatres, imaging and diagnostics.
Additionally, there will be:
- All patient rooms will be single and ensuite, with a proper parent bed.
- Outdoor space on every ward and a large rear garden.
- Spaces for parents to work and rest.
- School rooms on every ward, and a main school on the ground floor.
- Dining areas.
- Laundry facilities.
- Staff rest areas and places to change.
Embedded inside the hospital will be a world-leading 5000 sqm research institute, 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.
An animation, produced by Bouygues UK, showing Cambridge Children’s Hospital rising from the ground during the three-year build can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/1R6pJLjdj4Y
By integrating cutting-edge treatments and technology, Cambridge Children’s Hospital's vision aligns with the NHS 10-Year Plan:
- Bringing physical and mental healthcare together.
- Using genomic medicine to treat and prevent diseases.
- Putting the child at the centre of everything.
- Drawing power of tele-health technology.
- Treat children and young people close to home, wherever possible.
- Supporting the family around the child.
Watch this video to find out more: Cambridge Children's Hospital.
Progress
Planning permission was granted in March 2022 and pre-construction works began in February 2024.
The project’s construction partner, Bouygues UK, was appointed in August 2025.
The Full Business Case will be submitted to Government in 2027 with a three-year build expected to start later in the year.
Fundraising campaign
The Cambridge Children's Hospital visionary approach to care and research is being supported by a transformational £100 million fundraising campaign, which has already surpassed the halfway mark.
Money raised through the campaign, alongside government funding, will enable the the region’s first specialist children’s hospital to be built. Donors will support initiatives throughout the hospital, from the bricks and mortar of the new building, through to the clinical care, ground-breaking research and state-of-the-art equipment. This support will have a vital impact on what the hospital can achieve for children's health.
The fundraising campaign brings together Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust (ACT), Head to Toe Charity and University of Cambridge.
Involving children, young people, parents, and carers
Children, young people, parents, and carers have been involved in helping deliver Cambridge Children’s Hospital from the start. They’ve shared feedback to shape the building design and models of care to make sure that the hospital works in the best possible way for everyone.
Within Cambridge Children’s Network, there are award-winning Youth and Young Adult Forums, a Parent Carer Voice, and six Parent Advocates. In the last five years, children, young people, parents, carers and staff have attended meetings and workshops, community and fundraising events, and held the project team to account at the highest level.
Find out more about how to get involved.
Harnessing the professional knowledge of healthcare and research staff
The involvement of staff from the three partner organisations is vital for the success of the project. From the beginning of the project, they have helped shape their future working environment including how the design of the hospital flows, the exceptional facilities, and the calming rest areas.
All staff working in children's services and research receive the Cambridge Children's Hospital Newsletter three times a year and are invited to attend monthly online briefings where they can ask questions and keep up to speed with latest developments.
The CCH Frontrunners programme
CCH Frontrunners is an innovative transformation programme designed to help staff from the partner organisations, and across the region, drive forward meaningful change in their current work environments while preparing for the transition to the new hospital.
The Frontrunners programme provides dedicated time and resources for participants to tackle a challenge in their service, training in change management and quality improvement, as well as opportunities to collaborate across disciplines and with patient and family advocates.