Global first NHS high-tech centre for children’s health coming to Sheffield’s Olympic Legacy Park - Mayor donates £6m

By Julia Armstrong, local democracy reporter
Published 2nd Feb 2023, 18:08 BST
Updated 2nd Feb 2023, 18:09 BST
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An innovative centre creating new ways of improving children’s health is to be based at the Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield in what is being hailed as a global first, with £6m support from the South Yorkshire Mayor.

The National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) at the venue in Attercliffe is being developed by Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Sheffield City Council and property firm Scarborough Group International.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will contribute £6m of the £20m funding to build the centre, which was announced today (February 2) by Mayor Oliver Coppard at a press conference in the Olympic Legacy Park’s new community stadium. The mayor said: “We’ve got 1.4 million people in this region. We’ve put money into this because it will contribute to the wellbeing of children and young people.”

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The Mayor said he is committed to making South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country. “Sites like this are central to that vision and how we are going to get there.”

Chief executive of Sheffield Children's Hospital Ruth Brown at a press conference announcing £6 million of funding for the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) at Sheffield Olympic Legacy ParkChief executive of Sheffield Children's Hospital Ruth Brown at a press conference announcing £6 million of funding for the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park
Chief executive of Sheffield Children's Hospital Ruth Brown at a press conference announcing £6 million of funding for the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

Children’s Hospital chief executive Ruth Brown said that the move is very exciting. She hopes that work will start later this year and the centre will open in 2025.

Ruth said that the hospital will be bringing some of its clinical services to the new centre, where technologies will be developed to address key strategic priorities in children’s health in new ways. These are prevention and health inequalities, mental health, obesity, long-term conditions, cancer and disability.

Professor praised

“We will be creating a partnership between patients, children and young people with clinicians and experts, academia and industry,” said Ruth. “There will be spaces where they can work alongside each other to design new ways of treatment for the future.”

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An image of what the new National Centre for Child Health Technology at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park could look likeAn image of what the new National Centre for Child Health Technology at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park could look like
An image of what the new National Centre for Child Health Technology at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park could look like

Ruth said that discussions had been going on for eight years to create the centre, involving the NHS and the Olympic Legacy Park. She praised the work of Professor Peter Dimitri at the Children’s in spearheading the project.

“He’s really driven forward what a vision could be about something that is part of an eco system in Sheffield on the Olympic Legacy Park. You’ve got a school, sports facilities and the Hallam University here.