Planning permission has been granted for a £30m cancer research institute at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.
The facility, named The Sir Bobby Robson Institute, is expected to begin construction in spring 2026 and open in 2028.
“Demand for more research into new and innovative cancer treatments is rising, globally and locally,” said Ruth Plummer, Director of the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre.
The three-storey building will be located next to the Northern Centre for Cancer Care and will bring together the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre and existing oncology and haematology research teams.
The consolidation aims to increase the hospital’s capacity for clinical trials, with a projected 50 % rise in the number of studies conducted over the next five years.
The institute will provide more patients in the North East, North Cumbria, and North Yorkshire with access to experimental treatments and advanced clinical trials.
It will support research into cancer diagnosis, treatment, and care for a population of around 3.5 million people.
Funding for the project is being provided by The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity, in partnership with Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
So far, £20m has been raised, with ongoing efforts to secure the remaining £10m.
This latest development sits alongside a growing wave of cancer-focused infrastructure projects happening across the NHS.
Last month, Barts Health NHS Trust announced plans for a £16.6m centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital to unite all breast-cancer services in one location to close local survival gaps in breast cancer outcomes in East London.
Also last month, in the East Midlands, a £2.4m cancer support centre was completed at Northampton General Hospital.