Kemi Badenoch, MP for North West Essex, recently visited Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge with Shadow Health Secretary Stuart Andrew MP and Paul Bristow, Conservative Mayor for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.
The purpose of the visit was to meet healthcare professionals on the frontline, hear directly about the challenges facing the NHS, and see how new investment is being put to work. The group toured existing hospital facilities and were briefed on the development of two new specialist projects — the Cambridge Children’s Hospital and the Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital — as well as the new Cambridge South station which will provide better transport links for staff, patients and families.
By seeing the progress first-hand, Mrs Badenoch underlined her message that the NHS needs reform as well as funding. She emphasised that these new hospitals were secured under the last Conservative Government, showing what can be achieved when investment is backed by planning and delivery.
The new hospitals are designed to transform care across the East of England by bringing world-leading research, innovation, and treatment together on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Once open, they will improve outcomes for patients, reduce travel times for families, and strengthen the UK’s reputation for cutting-edge medicine.
Commenting, Mrs Badenoch said:
“It was fantastic to see the progress at Addenbrooke’s. These new hospitals will change lives and are only possible because of the investment and planning secured under the Conservatives.
“But you can’t have a strong NHS without a strong economy. The NHS doesn’t just need more money — it needs real reform. Labour may talk about plans, but without delivery they are little more than press releases. Patients deserve bold, practical action to cut waiting lists and improve care.”
Commenting, Stuart Andrew MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said:
“Addenbrooke’s is proof of what Conservative leadership can achieve. The Children’s and Cancer hospitals will be a huge step forward for patients and families across the East of England, and we will keep pressing Labour to ensure they are delivered on time.”
