Plans to build the Forum project moved ahead after Cambridge University Hospitals and investor John Laing signed contracts.

The Forum is being designed by architecture practice NBBJ and will comprise a new post-graduate medical education centre, a 75-bed private hospital and a 200-bed hotel and conference centre.

Under the innovative deal John Laing will arrange the finance with no public cash spent on the project, making it the first major project of its kind in the NHS.

CUH will receive an annual income and a share of the profits over the life of the contract.

The partners also revealed that Laing O’Rourke is on board as the main contractor for the job. Project funding details still needs to be finalised and planning permission secured before work can start.

The 4-star hotel, located to the north of the site, forms a landmark gateway to the campus.

The private hospital is at the southern end of the site, and will be located close to the main Addenbrooke’s Hospital buildings and adjacent to the new postgraduate education centre.

A combination of energy-efficient design, high-performance building envelope and connection to the Addenbrooke Hospital’s proposed new energy centre will result in low-carbon operation.

Peter Ward, Director of Healthcare Projects at John Laing, said: “We are keen to invest sustainably in good quality public infrastructure, and the Forum is a great example because it will provide a social hub for the biomedical campus, give Cambridge a centre for post-graduate medical education that reflects the standards of its teaching, and generate substantial income for NHS care.”