Pre-construction works are underway to start preparing the site for the build of Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital, the specialist hospital for the East of England.
Contractor R G Carter are delivering the programme of works which includes the installation of hoardings, land excavation and an archaeological dig. The work is expected to last until autumn and will prepare the area for full construction of the main hospital.
"The start of 2025 has marked a big milestone for the hospital. We’re absolutely delighted to see excavators on our Cancer Hospital site, removing 18,000 cubic metres of soil from the raised land in readiness for the archaeological work."
Matt Allen, Director of New Hospital Construction at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH)
"These groundworks are crucial in order to reduce archaeological and ground condition risks ahead of full construction, which we look forward to starting next year.”
The project was granted full planning permission in October 2024 and in January 2025 it was confirmed the hospital will be in wave one of the Government’s New Hospital Programme. The Chancellor has since called for the hospital to be “prioritised” to help kick-start the UK’s economy and unlock the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor.
Dr Hugo Ford, Clinical Lead for Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital and Director of Cancer Services at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “After a decade in the pipeline, this is an exciting moment for us all. The critical first steps have begun for the delivery of such a transformative project, which is not just for Cambridge, but also for the region and the country. Cutting-edge discoveries will come from this building, bringing national and global benefits for cancer medicine.”
The seven storey, 27,083 m2 building will be built on the corner of Keith Day Road and Robinson Way on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Europe’s largest biomedical campus, next to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, AstraZeneca and Royal Papworth Hospital. The hospital has been designed in partnership with current and former cancer patients and carers, based on their own lived experience, as well as staff, to help shape how the facility might look and feel. Find out more about the scope of the hospital.
The hospital has been designed by architects NBBJ and engineers AECOM who are supporting with the principal design, construction and project management.
Richard Mann, Head of Social Infrastructure at AECOM, said: "This building represents the next generation of cancer hospitals. It will enable the much-needed shift from a reactive model of cancer treatment to a proactive one, prioritising early detection, prevention, precision diagnosis and monitoring, and cure.
"We are proud to have supported Cambridge University Hospitals from the outset and delighted to see the start of enabling works, marking a major milestone for this landmark project."
Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is a partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals and the University of Cambridge. Additional fundraising and philanthropy will still be required to realise the vision for the new NHS hospital, as has always been the case. Fundraising efforts are being led by the University and by CUH’s hospital charity, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.
Read about the work involved in the latest RIBA (Royal Institute for British Architects) stage (opens in a new tab) and how the project team are planning a hospital that will change the story of cancer.