Cambridge cancer hospital "remains on track"

Officials have said a new cancer hospital in Cambridge is "on track" despite a government "reset".

The Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital was one of the 40 hospitals chosen by the former Conservative government to receive funding under its New Hospitals Programme.

However, on Monday July 29 2024, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the delivery of these hospitals was "wildly off track" and announced a review of the programme.

Following the announcement, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust sought to reassure people that the work was still on track.

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:

"We are continuing to make significant progress on the programme for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, after our Outline Business Case was approved by NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care and HM Treasury last summer.

"A programme of pre-constructions works are set to begin this autumn, including the installation of hoardings around the site, ground clearance and archaeological digs.

"We remain on track to start full construction works next year in 2025. Our current schedule means the hospital is on track to be built by 2030."

Planning permission for the hospital, which is due to be built at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, was granted earlier in 2024.

The new hospital aims to "bring together clinical and research expertise in a new world-class hospital", in the hope of being able to detect cancer earlier and treat it more precisely.

Back in 2020, the then Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said the promised £3.7billion of investment would enable 40 new hospitals to be built across the country by 2030 in order to "level up" the NHS.