Latest on major redevelopment of Cambridgeshire hospital

The hospital has to be redeveloped as it was built with RAAC brick

A building has been demolished as part of work on a Cambridgeshire hospital. Hinchingbrooke Hospital, overseen by the North West Anglia NHS Trust, is undergoing a major redevelopment after “structural issues” were highlighted with the current building.

The hospital, built in 1983, was constructed with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). As part of the plans, a replacement hospital building will be built, as well as a new hospital-related ancillary office, research, admin and education facilities.

In the latest progress made at the site, a former nursery building has been demolished to make way for new staff accommodation. Demolition work began in December and is now complete. The new staff accommodation, designed and installed by Zed Pods Ltd, is expected to be completed by spring 2027.

Deborah Lee, senior responsible officer for the Hinchingbrooke redevelopment, said: “This is a major milestone in our redevelopment journey and marks an important step for the New Hospital Programme. We are very excited to be working with local supplier, Zed Pods Ltd to create sustainable and homely environments for our staff to stay in.

“In turn, this will enable the demolition of our existing staff accommodation blocks at the back of our hospital site and create the space we need for our new hospital.”

The former nursery building was located between two car parks at the front the hospital, and it was used for storage. The new staff accommodation will provide a home for medical, nursing and students on placement at the hospital. It will provide 85 bed spaces, as well as wi-fi and a courtyard space.

Tom Northway, Chairman of Zed Pods Ltd, said: “We are proud to work again with the Trust to deliver much needed, sustainable staff accommodation. This scheme demonstrates how modular construction can rapidly provide comfortable, low-carbon homes that support NHS staff wellbeing while helping unlock complex underutilised sites for development.”