We have advised Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) on its joint venture with John Laing to deliver the Forum project on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus (CBC).

The Forum will include a new private hospital, hotel and conference centre, and will be designed by global architecture practice NBBJ. The development will create more than 300 construction jobs and in excess of 500 people will be employed in the facility once completed in summer 2016.

The project is the first of its kind within the NHS, with John Laing arranging the finance so that no public capital is spent on the project. CUH will then receive an annual income and a share of the profits over the life of the contract. All income will go to supporting and enhancing the delivery of patient care at CUH’s two hospitals, Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Maternity Hospital.

Dr Keith McNeil, chief executive CUH, said: “This is another major step in creating a physical centre of what is already a well-known and successful biomedical campus. With the post-graduate education centre, hotel and conference centre and other facilities, the Forum will provide a great opportunity for clinicians and research professionals from Cambridge and around the globe to collaborate on innovative research and practices. This is bound to lead to new treatments and better quality of care for patients.”

Jane Ramsey, chair of CUH, said: “The Forum is a key part of our strategic plan for the campus. It will enhance our reputation as a leading centre for biomedical research and innovation, and drive improvements in patient care. We are very optimistic that it will prove to be a great success not only for the Trust and its patients, but for Cambridge and UK plc as well.”

Michelle Cookson, partner in our Real Estate team, said: “We are delighted to have been part of the team advising CUH on such an exciting project. The CBC is cementing the University and city’s reputation as a centre for medical research and will be home to the very best researchers from the academic and business worlds.”

The team also included associate Dominic Hordern and solicitors Katie Philpot and Tom Nash.