On Tuesday 3rd June, we ceremonially marked the next phase for Great Ormond Street Children’s Cancer Centre: construction beginning. After four months of expert work to deconstruct the existing building, Sisk, our building contractor, will be starting the main construction of the Children’s Cancer Centre. This begins with the basement and excavation. Then it will be onwards and upwards until the world-leading new centre is complete.
At the event, hospital staff were joined by principal donor, John Grayken, the Saïd family, long-time GOSH Charity supporters and former GOSH family, Public Health and Prevention Minister, Ashley Dalton MP, Mat Shaw GOSH CEO, Louise Parkes, CEO of GOSH Charity and other donors and supporters of GOSH Charity’s Build It. Beat It. appeal. The appeal is aiming to raise £300m to help build the CCC, deliver transformation in cancer care, advance research, and save lives.
Mat Shaw, Great Ormond Street Hospital Chief Executive said: “The Children’s Cancer Centre will make a difference to every child who comes to GOSH, and particularly, it will help us advance how we care and treat children who have rare and complex cancers.
“A massive thank you to everyone who is supporting the Build It. Beat It. appeal – we couldn’t do this without you. We are particularly grateful to the principal donors, John and Eilene Grayken and their family, and Omaze, Premier Inn and the Michael Uren Foundation.
“It means so much to everyone at GOSH. This new facility will help us realise our ambitions so we can match the amazing work of our clinicians with buildings and infrastructure that makes it easy for them to be their best.”
With a 20% increase in capacity, digitally advanced inpatient wards and a new hospital school, the centre will transform cancer care at GOSH. Alongside these developments, the centre also enables us to expand our theatres, imaging and critical care facilities use by all specialities, and create a new main entrance for the whole hospital.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said: "The hospital is a symbol of what we can achieve when we combine the excellence of our NHS people, innovative technologies, ground-breaking treatment and world-class research.
“As someone living with cancer myself, I know how terrifying a diagnosis can be - and when it happens to our children, that's unimaginable.
“These families deserve a government that's backing them every step of the way, which is why we've relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce and will ensure children’s cancer is at the forefront of our Plan for Change."
GOSH and Sisk are working hard to limit the impacts of the development on the local community and families who are coming to the hospital. Sisk are using a range of different methods for the works to limit dust, noise and vibrations and much as possible. You can keep up to date on our dedicated building works update page of our website and residents can sign up to our construction newsletter by emailing ccc@gosh.nhs.uk.
Find out how you can support the Build It Beat Campaign on the GOSH Charity website.