Eight Deputy Lieutenants from Hertfordshire visited the site of the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital, which will be the first specialist children’s hospital for the East of England, the only region in the UK without one.
Led by Viscountess Knutsford, who is a Hertfordshire Regional Ambassador for the Cambridge Children’s Hospital campaign, the group met clinical and project staff to learn about the progress of the hospital’s plans and its unique vision of care, which will break down the divide between mental and physical health and deliver joined-up care under one roof.
It is a disgrace that the East of England is the only region in the country without a dedicated children’s hospital. With luck and a team of wonderful, generous people, we hope to put this right by 2030.
Viscountess Knutsford - Hertfordshire Regional Ambassador
Cambridge Children’s Hospital will bring specialist care closer to home for patients and families across the whole of East Anglia and the East of England, giving them better, more equitable access to the care they need – with less time away from school, home and community.
The new hospital will act as a regional hub, supporting continuity of care in local neighbourhoods and communities to keep families together during difficult times, through joined-up models of care and collaborative multi-partner working.
During the visit, the Deputy Lieutenants visited one of the general children’s wards at Addenbrooke’s Hospital to meet staff and patients, and learn more about the opportunities the new Cambridge Children’s Hospital will provide including: new integrated wards, single occupancy bedrooms, seven dedicated paediatric theatres, a hospital school, and outdoor spaces throughout all levels of the hospital, including a large gardens and playground areas.
The five-storey 35,000sqm hospital will also house a University of Cambridge research institute focused on understanding the origins of disease, supporting earlier detection, intervention and prevention of illnesses.
Joining Viscountess Knutsford for the tour were:
- Annie Brewster
- Marion Brown MBE JP
- Dr Sally Burton
- Sarah Free, who is also a Hertfordshire Regional Ambassador for the Cambridge Children’s Hospital campaign
- Dr Helen Hanbury
- Viscount (Henry) Knutsford
- Lady (Henrietta) Pilkington, who is the Lead Ambassador for Hertfordshire
- Karen Trew
- Dr Lionel Wallace
- Janie Wentworth-Stanley
Deputy Lieutenants are appointed by the Crown to assist the Lord Lieutenant – the King’s representative – in performing civic and ceremonial duties within their county, such as attending Remembrance services, presenting citizenship awards and engaging in community, business and voluntary roles.
The project is a collaborative partnership between Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) and the University of Cambridge, bringing together clinical expertise and world-leading knowledge.
Fundraising for the new hospital is over halfway to its £100m target, attracting support from philanthropists in the UK and around the globe, but more support is needed.
- To donate or find out more the campaign, run by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust, the University of Cambridge and Head to Toe Charity, and fundraising for Cambridge Children’s Hospital, read more here.
