Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital

Every year, around 375,000 people in the UK are told they have cancer. With the number of people receiving a cancer diagnosis each year set to rise to over 500,000 by 2035, and with treatment costs rising exponentially, we need to find a radical solution to tackle the cancer crisis.

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (CCRH) will change the story of cancer by bringing together clinical and research expertise in a new, world-class hospital, designed in partnership with our patients. It is uniquely poised to radically transform patient care, delivering hope and better health outcomes for millions of people across the globe.

By detecting cancer earlier and treating it more precisely, we will save more lives. What happens here in Cambridge will have a huge impact across the region, the UK and the world. The breakthroughs and innovations we deliver will change the way we detect and treat cancer far beyond our hospital, bringing hope to millions of people.

CCRH will be situated on Cambridge Biomedical Campus – a hub of innovation and home to some of the most influential organisations in life science. We will bring together clinical expertise at Addenbrooke’s Hospital with world- class scientists across the University of Cambridge and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre. Together, they will work in the heart of our new clinic and hospital spaces, bringing research from the bench to the bedside. The impact will transform cancer care and bring hope to millions of people across the world.

This is how the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital will change patients' lives:

Early diagnoses offer a greater quality of life
Precision medicine means the right treatment at the right time
Understanding the genetics of cancer helps families plan for the future
Less time is spent in hospital and at appointments
Much more time is spent with family and friends
Patients receive care in their own home and local communities where possible
Patients have a personalised care plan, just for them
Real-time data is used to inform care for generations across the world

Watch: Changing the story of cancer - the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital (opens in a new tab)

Progress

CCRH is part of the Government's New Hospitals Programme.

The project had the first stage of its business case (the Strategic Outline Case) approved by the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England & NHS Improvement in December 2021. The approval of the Strategic Outline Case provides backing for the CCRH scheme as part of the government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals by 2030.

We expect to submit the next stage of the business case process (the Outline Business Case) in late 2022.

How to get involved

There are various ways to be involved in the CCRH project, whether you are a patient who has been, or are being treated for cancer, a carer with experience of looking after someone with cancer, a member of Cambridge University Hospitals or University of Cambridge staff or if you are interested in philanthropy.

Patients

Our Patient Advisory Group (opens in a new tab) (PAG) share their personal experiences to guide our design and we talk through patient journeys together to understand how our building can make their care better.

The group was set up from the Addenbrooke's Cancer Patient Participation Group, which has been involved in services at the hospital for more than a decade. Every member of the group sits on a workstream of the project and Co-Chairs Neil Stutchbury and Fiona Carey sit on the Joint Delivery Board. In their monthly meetings, the PAG reviews the design of an area of the hospital or shares updates from their workstreams and hears a progress report from the Project Director.

Find out more about the Patient Advisory Group and Cancer Patient Participation Group, including how to join. (opens in a new tab)