A Whole New Way
Your newsletter from the
Cambridge Children's Hospital project
Welcome!
Katie Birditt, Chair of our Youth and Young Adult Forums
Katie Birditt, Chair of our Youth and Young Adult Forums
Flower bulbs have been planted, site hoardings are up, and the search for a construction partner is underway! Whilst Winter’s chill may have set in, there’s an undeniable warmth within the Cambridge Children’s Hospital project as our ambitious vision blossoms into reality.
It is a great honour to end this year as the chair of our Youth and Young Adult Forums, initiatives that not only amplify the voices of young people but embed our insights into how patient-centric approaches can drive systemic change. Representing and learning from a courageous and insightful group of young people has been a great privilege. By drawing on lived experiences, knowledge, and passion, it has been exciting to discuss how care can be delivered and systems designed in more holistic ways. Who better to help define the future of healthcare than those who have experienced it first hand or intend on working within these environments?
Katie with (l-r) Dr Xand Van Tulleken, Clinical Lead Rob Heuschkel and Parent Advocate Celia Enderle
Katie with (l-r) Dr Xand Van Tulleken, Clinical Lead Rob Heuschkel and Parent Advocate Celia Enderle
For me, one particular highlight from 2024 was being able to represent our forums at a fundraising event in London, where I had the chance to discuss holistic healthcare alongside the incredible TV presenter Dr Xand Van Tulleken and other members of the project team. There’s something deeply empowering about knowing that our personal and collective voice can be heard, valued, and actively used to shape change. Moments like these remind me why these forums are so vital - not just for Cambridge Children’s Hospital but for inspiring wider transformation in healthcare.
I’m filled with pride for all we’ve achieved together on developing the East of England’s first specialist children’s hospital. I am excited for what lies ahead in 2025!
Best wishes, Katie
Watch our 2024 highlights
Our top story
Cambridge Children's Hospital site hoardings go up
After the Government fully signed off our Outline Business Case in August, the detailed process of appointing a construction partner began. But we also wanted a visual milestone to represent our journey to reality. An 80 metre stretch of hoardings, featuring supersized images of children and young people who have been involved in the project, were put up in October. Our celebration day coincided with a visit from the Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza.
Six-year-old Max was very poorly in hospital as a baby. He is now one of our Cambridge Children's Hospital superheroes and loved seeing himself 'at scale'!
Sixteen-year-old Macie has supported her younger brother, Oliver, since he was diagnosed with cancer as a toddler. Macie is a member of our Youth Forum and ensures the sibling voice is not forgotten.
Fourteen-year-old Evie and her family visited the hoardings exactly a year to the day that Evie was discharged from hospital. She had suffered respiratory failure brought on by a simple cold. Over 100 days, Evie had to learn to 'live' all over again.
Our new hospital will include world-leading research. Cambridge Children's Research Institute will house six research centres, including genomics. Six-year-old Reuben was diagnosed with an ultra rare disease after whole genome sequencing.
Alisha, 19, has been involved in the Cambridge Children's Hospital project for many years and is now a member of our Young Adult Forum. She has spent a lifetime in and out of hospital after being born at just 24 weeks gestation.
The Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said she was delighted to find out more about Cambridge Children's Hospital.
"As Children’s Commissioner, I hear from children and young people all the time about the need for effective, community-based health services. I am looking forward to seeing how the Hospital’s innovative approach to treating mental and physical health will better support children in the East of England."
The Whole Community
Youth Forums 'deep dive' to help develop our models of care
It's been a busy year for our Youth and Young Adult Forums, tackling difficult subjects with confidence and maturity. These have included:
- Spaces for teenagers
- Hospital school and reintegration
- Supporting families
- Food in hospital
- Care closer to home
- Integrated mental and physical healthcare
The young people have welcomed clinicians, researchers, public health experts, and even celebrities into their meetings.
"I am in awe at how much thought these young people put into these conversations, often drawing on very difficult healthcare experiences. For them to trust us to listen and then build a hospital and model of care that reflects their ideas and feedback, is an honour. We are grateful to them and, of course, the parents and carers who bring such value to this project.”
To find out more about our Youth Forums, and to sign up, visit our Collaboration page.
Important conversations with young people on the East coast
We spoke to staff and community members at Sam's Wellbeing Hub and Cafe in Gorleston
We spoke to staff and community members at Sam's Wellbeing Hub and Cafe in Gorleston
Supported by the charity Access Community Trust, which works with communities across Norfolk and Suffolk, our engagement team visited Lowestoft and Gorleston. We spoke to young parents about barriers to healthcare for themselves and their children. They talked about how Cambridge Children's Hospital could better support them, from food and transport to sensory toys and toiletries.
There were also valuable conversations with young people living in support accommodation about our vision for integrated mental and physical healthcare. The transition from children's to adult care and feeling heard by healthcare professionals was a key theme of the discussions, particularly for young people who don't necessarily have family support.
"We are so grateful to everyone who spoke to us on the day and shared their stories. We will return to Lowestoft to let the community know how we are taking their feedback forward in shaping how Cambridge Children's Hospital will better care for people living in coastal communities and those facing adversity."
The Whole Child
Video technology is helping diagnose seizures in children closer to home
Cain's ‘funny turns’ started when he was just 8 months old. His parents took him to hospital, but often by the time they got there Cain seemed fine. It was hard to describe to doctors what was happening - and so diagnosis was difficult.
After around 200 seizures, his mum and dad were able to capture a severe episode on camera, using video technology called vCreate. Cain was put on medication and later diagnosed with a genetic mutation which was causing the epilepsy.
"It was life changing. I feel so reassured. If it wasn’t for that video we wouldn’t have a diagnosis."
Cambridge Children's Hospital will use the power of telehealth technology, like this, to keep children close to home, wherever possible.
The Whole Picture
Working together to consider how Cambridge Children’s Hospital can support gaps in care provision
Commissioners and clinicians shared ideas on how to use one of the Cambridge Children's Hospital inpatient spaces
Commissioners and clinicians shared ideas on how to use one of the Cambridge Children's Hospital inpatient spaces
Local, regional and national NHS commissioners and clinical leads joined an event last week, aimed at developing a better understanding of gaps in current care provision for children and young people with complex physical and mental health needs. Almost fifty people attended, keen to collaborate on generating ideas on how the space within Cambridge Children’s Hospital could be used. Inpatient areas are for children who are so unwell they need to stay in hospital for a period of time.
The workshop was the start of an in-depth process, with further investigation due to happen in the new year. The option chosen will become part of our Full Business Case, outlining benefits of Cambridge Children’s Hospital, the first specialist children’s hospital for the East of England.
“This workshop was a vital first step in planning how this valuable space at Cambridge Children’s Hospital can offer maximum benefit for the children and young people who need it most. We are grateful to all the commissioners and clinicians who attended, and we look forward to working with them further to find the right solution.”
The Whole Life
Children and young people “dropped down the agenda” during Covid 19 pandemic
Almost 200,000 research studies on mental health impacts were carried out during the pandemic, but only 35 included children and young people, creating “a huge data gap”.
Writing for the British Medical Journal, Professor Tamsin Ford, Cambridge Children’s Hospital Mental Health Research Lead, says better evidence on how children’s mental health is affected by health shocks is essential to inform policy responses. Children and young people's voices must be represented.
Our Young Ambassador Ann Sabu was invited to co-author the article, which drew on multiple sources, including a survey shared with young people and parents. They responded with a bleak picture of social isolation, loneliness, reduced confidence and a lack of typical age-appropriate experiences.
Ann, who noticed her peers struggling with anxiety when they returned to school after lockdown, is calling for better access to mental health support for children and more research as to why some struggled during the pandemic, while others did not.
"A child who cannot function for several months pays a developmental price in terms of skills and educational development, which adults do not. Similarly, there can be no health without mental health: prevention and containment of communicable diseases must not neglect mental health, nor widen inequalities."
Professor Tamsin Ford and Ann Sabu
Professor Tamsin Ford and Ann Sabu
"Going back to school was never the same because you had the one-way system, you had to wear masks, you had to sanitise all the time. It felt very controlling. It felt like Covid took away from our school experience because there were so many regulations and rules that were put in place."
In other news
Visit to Copenhagen
Some of our project team visited Mary Elizabeth Children's Hospital in Copenhagen, a new facility due to open in 2026. The hospital is almost double the size of Cambridge Children's Hospital and spans eight floors. Visiting other hospitals is important for our learning and often influences our approach to design and care models.
"Visiting Mary Elizabeth Children's Hospital in Copenhagen was inspiring, giving us ideas that can shape and influence our own plans. We were excited to find out how they are engaging staff to be fully involved in planning, developing and testing new ways of working."
Digital surveyor turns heads
Specialist surveying equipment has been used to scan above and below ground near the Cambridge Children's Hospital site. Graham Bateson is from engineering consultancy firm Ramboll. Watch our video to find out his favourite nicknames.
Graham Bateson is used to getting funny looks when out and about with his surveying equipment
Graham Bateson is used to getting funny looks when out and about with his surveying equipment
Regional children's healthcare conference
It was great to meet with clinicians and healthcare professionals from all over the region at NHS England's Children and Young People's Healthcare Transformation Programme conference. The talks included youth workers in hospital; digital exclusion; and oral health.
Our engagement team with the model of Cambridge Children's Hospital
Our engagement team with the model of Cambridge Children's Hospital
'I'm a Celebrity' runner up helps raise funds for Cambridge Children's Hospital
It was out of the jungle and straight into a literary lunch for Reverend Richard Coles, who came third place in this year's popular 'I'm a Celebrity' reality TV show. Rev Coles joined the Mayor of Peterborough for this special event to raise money for the Cambridge Children's Hospital campaign.
Rev Richard Coles. Photo courtesy of Natalie Dawkins
Rev Richard Coles. Photo courtesy of Natalie Dawkins
Thousands of bulbs planted
We braved the cold to plant thousands of daffodils along the front of our future site on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. We are grateful to our corporate volunteers from Gateley Smithers Purslow, members of our project team and Head to Toe Charity for getting their hands dirty to support this great cause.
"One day Cambridge Children’s Hospital will stand proudly alongside many other incredible organisations already established on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. While it’s a little time until our hospital is built, we want to be good neighbours now. We hope, come Spring, the daffodils will brighten up people’s days."
Our hard working volunteers
Our hard working volunteers
Tea delivery team: Lead nurse Vicky Amiss-Smith, with project managers Milly and Morven.
Tea delivery team: Lead nurse Vicky Amiss-Smith, with project managers Milly and Morven.
A fun day was had by all!
A fun day was had by all!
Season's greetings from all of us on the Cambridge Children's Hospital project
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