Papworth Hospital, a specialist heart and lung unit, will move from its current location outside Cambridge onto the Addenbrooke’s Hospital site in the city, it has been revealed.
The £165m deal for a new hospital has now been approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne.
New buildings and facilities will be constructed on the Cambridge Bio-medical Campus to accommodate the relocated Papworth Hospital, securing the future of the hospital after years of uncertainty.
The existing buildings at Papworth are over 75 years old, with some older than 150 years. Moving to new purpose-built facilities will ensure the hospital continues to provide world-class medical care and treatment.
The proposed new 310-bed Papworth Hospital will boast the latest medical facilities and technologies.
Bringing together two great NHS institutions on the site of the Cambridge Bio-medical Campus, it will also create a hub of world-leading medicine, research and pharmaceutical development. Backing successful research clusters such as this are a key component of the long-term plan for science.
Alexander said: “Bringing Papworth and Addenbrookes more closely together will create a hub of leading-edge research and pharmaceutical development and firmly underlines our commitment to the long-term plan for science.
Osborne added: “I’ve been a strong supporter of this move. As I said on a visit to Cambridge last week, there is great value in these two leading hospitals working more closely together and continuing to provide first-class medical care.
“By backing Papworth’s relocation to a medical research cluster, we’re supporting the world-leading science which is vitally important to Britain’s economic future.
The new Papworth Hospital is to be delivered through a 30-year PFI deal, with confirmation of the service provider to be announced shortly.
Construction of the new facilities is projected to begin in 2015 and will be completed by 2018. The plans will be finalised over the coming months, with all funding subject to final approval.
The hospital will be built by Skanska, which was selected to lead the consortium to design, build and maintain the new facility. OCS will provide support services such as catering and cleaning.