HM Treasury
A 165 million deal for a new hospital has been approved by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne.
Papworth hospital, a leading specialist heart and lung hospital, will move from its current location outside Cambridge onto the Addenbrookes hospital site in the city.
New buildings and facilities will be constructed on the site of the Cambridge Bio-medical Campus to accommodate the relocated Papworth hospital. Papworth hospitals future location is now secure following years of uncertainty.
The existing buildings at Papworth are over 75 years old, with some older than 150 years. Moving to brand new purpose built facilities will ensure the hospital continues to provide world class medical care and treatment.
The proposed new 310-bed Papworth hospital could boast the latest medical facilities and technologies.
Bringing together two great NHS institutions, on the site of the Cambridge Bio-medical Campus, 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.
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, said:
This ambitious package will ensure that patients across the East of England continue to benefit from access to world-class specialist treatment, will secure Papworth hospitals future location, and help further develop its world leading capabilities.
Bringing Papworth and Addenbrookes more closely together will also create a hub of leading-edge research and pharmaceutical development and also firmly underlines our commitment to the long term plan for science.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said:
Ive 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 Papworths relocation to a medical research cluster were supporting the world leading science which is vitally important to Britains economic future.
It is only because we have been working through our long term economic plan and got a grip on day to day spending that we can protect our NHS and make great investments like this.
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 complete by 2017 to 2018. The plans for this project will be finalised over the coming months, with all funding subject to final approvals as usual.