A Whole New Way
Welcome to your newsletter from the
Cambridge Children's Hospital project
Welcome to our Cambridge Children's Hospital newsletter
An update from Project Director, Malcolm McFrederick
An update from Project Director, Malcolm McFrederick
At a recent meeting I told the Cambridge Children’s team that it feels like the start of a new school term. Why? Well, this summer our Outline Business Case was fully signed off by the new Government. This milestone is to be celebrated – and puts us on a positive trajectory towards getting Cambridge Children’s Hospital built.
Now we have to move onto producing the Full Business Case, which is a bit like moving up a year, where we build on the work we've already done but with more complexity and detail. We move our mindset from imagining what we ‘could do’ to explaining what we ‘will do’.
Read on to find out more about the work we are doing to deliver our vision of integrated care, where mental and physical health are treated together under one roof, alongside research.
Our next step in this complex process is to recruit a construction partner to make the East of England’s first specialist children’s hospital a physical reality. This is now underway and we aim to start building in 2026.
Listening to the voices of children, young people, parents, carers and staff is vital to the success of this project. With this in mind, I’m delighted to welcome new members to our Youth Forums and our Parent Carer Voice.
Finally, this month a stretch of vibrant hoardings will go up along the front of the Cambridge Children’s Hospital site, opposite the Rosie Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Keep an eye on social media and our website for updates.
We are delighted on have you on board for this journey.
Best wishes
Malcolm
Our top story
Cambridge Children's Hospital moves ahead as plans approved by ministers
An architect image of Cambridge Children's Hospital
An architect image of Cambridge Children's Hospital
August was a big month for the Cambridge Children's Hospital project after the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, signed off our Outline Business Case (OBC).
This approval recognises that the hospital will meet the needs of patients and staff right across the East of England and that the project has the appropriate funding streams in place, to deliver the specialist children’s facility.
Cambridge Children's Hospital will treat mental and physical health under one roof, alongside world-leading research. Watch this 3D ‘fly-through’ of how Cambridge Children’s Hospital will look once completed.
Continue reading to see a proposed timeline for Cambridge Children's Hospital. This is subject to change.
The Whole Community
Welcome back to our youth forums
Katie and Temi
Katie and Temi
After a summer break, we welcomed back our Youth and Young Adult Forums, including a number of new members. We are very excited to bring their voices into shaping how Cambridge Children's Hospital will look, feel and care.
Katie, 24, from Cambridge, chaired the first Young Adult Forum, describing it as a "remarkable community" and noting a sense of excitement and anticipation now the project's OBC has full ministerial sign off.
"Volunteering alongside young adults, all united by a shared passion to transform healthcare provision, has been truly inspiring. My hope moving forward is that we continue amplifying these voices to drive meaningful and lasting change in this space."
Seventeen-year-old Temi from Peterborough chaired the first Youth Forum. She says she's looking forward to the positive impact their conversations will continue to have on the future of mental and physical healthcare and the needs of younger generations.
"By working in unity and always doing our best to put ourselves in patients’ shoes, we are all able to benefit from each unique idea, ensuring everyone feels confident to share their input at all times."
To find out more about our Youth Forums, and to sign up, visit our Collaboration page.
Dr Anna Moore joins Parent Carer Voice meeting
Dr Anna Moore
Dr Anna Moore
As we develop our new models of care, we are grateful to be able to harness the lived experience of members of our Parent Carer Voice.
At our recent PCV quarterly meeting, guest speaker Dr Anna Moore explained her research into using AI to analyse patient data to spot early signs of mental health conditions. You can read more about this in Anna's report for BBC East Can AI find the children at risk of mental health conditions? - BBC News
International Youth Day
To mark International Youth Day, three members of Cambridge Children's Network - Luke, Alisha and Elizabeth - shared what being involved in Cambridge Children's Hospital means to them. We also received a special message from TV personality Dr Xand.
The Whole Child
Cambridge Children's Hospital will take specialist care to a new level, with dedicated spaces that are designed with young patients and their families in mind.
Dozens of healthcare professionals were involved in Haydn's care, after he was knocked off his bike. The 16-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury and spend weeks in hospital. Over 200 people helped his recovery process, from paediatric intensive care to physiotherapy and rehabilitation.
The facilities at Cambridge Children's Hospital will allow care for children and young people to be even better, with access to child-centred gyms, therapeutic play spaces, a hospital school, and areas for specifically for teenagers.
"Cambridge Children's doesn't automatically make amazing magic. What is already happening is magic. What we want to do is to make that better and easier for families and professionals working with these young people."
The Whole Picture
Aspiration to Reality
Collaboration is key to the development of Cambridge Children’s Hospital. In everything we do, we are working closely with NHS staff from our partner organisations and across the wider region, as well as children, young people, parents and carers.
As we work on our Full Business Case, we are bringing together the expertise of professionals in physical and mental healthcare, both at our partner organisations - CPFT and CUH - and services in the wider region. Along with parents and carers, they are helping us understand current models of care from their different perspectives and what they might look like at Cambridge Children’s Hospital.
“We are thinking ahead to how we will deliver integrated care, understanding and mapping patient journeys, looking at barriers, opportunities, and learning from best practice. We are taking the best bits of many services and bringing them together.”
We are grateful to all the staff, parents, carers, children and young people, who give up their time to help us develop a unique and excellent hospital that brings mental and physical healthcare together under one roof, alongside research.
“When the hospital opens its doors, we want to provide the best care to all children and their families from the very start. This will only happen if we’ve thought through every single service, system and process now, learning from those who know best – our staff and our families."
The Whole Life
New innovation hub will accelerate research in Cambridge Children’s Hospital
It took ten years for the very first Whole Genome Sequencing test to finally reach completion in 2003. These days tests are far quicker but can still take weeks to deliver a diagnosis in the NHS.
However, a new research ‘Innovation Hub’ launched recently at Cambridge University Hospitals will open up opportunities to find answers for sick children far more quickly, maybe within just 24 hours.
Eventually, the hub aims to relocate to the new Genomics Centre within the Cambridge Children’s Research Institute.
“We’re convinced that whole genome sequencing can help diagnose the majority of children with rare disease and paediatric cancer. We’ve created a genomic medicine centre in the children’s hospital to build on that foundation. We want to tailor medicine to individual patients and this will be facilitated by our clinical research being within the new hospital.”
The hub, which allows researchers pre-commercial access to test specialist technology, is a collaboration with Illumina, East of England East Genomic Laboratory Hub (GLH), the University of Cambridge, CUH and supported by NIHR Cambridge BRC.
Cambridgeshire boy takes part in brain tumour drug trial
Six-year-old Leo is the first person in the UK to take part in the trial - and doctors expect him to benefit from being on the study.
Due to the location of Leo's tumour very centrally in the brain, it cannot be safely removed using surgery, and is something that Leo will be expected to live with long-term. This trial forms part of Leo’s first line of treatment.
The drug Leo is taking during this trial, which is taken as a liquid or capsule medication weekly, will be compared with standard chemotherapy given via the bloodstream, to see which is better.
His mum, Corey, hopes that the trial at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will not only help Leo, but that his participation will benefit other children living with brain tumours in the future.
Leo, with mum Corey
Leo, with mum Corey
"Taking part in research is a legacy because the more these doctors know, they’ll be able to do so much more for these kids in the future. If you look at what we couldn’t do in the past, and we can do now, it’s all because of trials like this. The more people that are part of research and progressing knowledge, the further you can get, and you can do so many more things."
In other news
Cambridge Children's team join Powerhouse Games
Some of the Cambridge Children's team with John Willis, Founder and Chief Ambassador of Power2Inspire (front left)
Some of the Cambridge Children's team with John Willis, Founder and Chief Ambassador of Power2Inspire (front left)
We were thrilled to take part in the PowerHouseGames, an inclusive sports event that ensures 'no one is left on the bench.' With our fellow Cambridge Biomedical Campus volunteers, we teamed up with local children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to play a series of games that encouraged inclusivity and fun. Read the full story.
A busy events season
It's been a busy couple of months for our engagement team. We loved meeting children and families at Ipswich Community Day and also joined the Cambridge Regional College Freshers' Fairs, speaking to over 250 young people about our project and gathering feedback.
We asked students at Cambridge Regional College about what was important to them when they visit hospital. Food came out on top!
We asked students at Cambridge Regional College about what was important to them when they visit hospital. Food came out on top!
CUH and CPFT Annual Members Meetings
We joined the Annual Members Meetings of our two NHS Partner organisations, showcasing Cambridge Children's Hospital, its progress and how it will revolutionise children's healthcare. At the CPFT event we had the pleasure of speaking to Simon Antrobus, Children in Need Chief Executive, who was guest speaker.
Sarah Allen, Coproduction and Engagement Officer, and Vicky Amiss-Smith, Lead Nurse, with Simon Antrobus
Sarah Allen, Coproduction and Engagement Officer, and Vicky Amiss-Smith, Lead Nurse, with Simon Antrobus
Follow us
The Cambridge Children's Hospital project can now be found on three social media platforms - and we'd love you join us! You can find us on Instagram, X and Facebook. Visit our website www.cambridgechildrens.org.uk
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