Teesside to make £2.2m investment in optometry facilities

The site will serve the dual purpose of enhancing optometry education and addressing gaps in accessible eye care services

2 min read

A student optometry checks the eyes of a young woman

Teesside University

Kimberley Young

13 November 2025

Teesside University has announced a £2.2 million expansion of its optometry facilities to enhance its teaching and training capacity, as well as its public-facing clinical services.

The new site in the university’s Middlesbrough campus will “significantly increase” available teaching space for students on the MOptom (Hons) optometry course and provide a real-world clinical environment.

The facility will be spread across three floors, with the ground floor featuring a reception and patient waiting area incorporating a sensory zone. There will also be specialist clinics, pre-screening zones, and a dispensing clinic. A clinical teaching hub will run on the first floor for first and second-year students.

On the second floor, third-year students will work under the supervision of qualified professionals to deliver services to the public through a fully functional eye care clinic.

Professor Hannah Bartlett, professor of optometry and inclusive practice at Teesside University, said: “This expansion is a gamechanger for both our students and the wider community. It allows us to train more future optometrists in a real-world clinical environment while addressing a critical gap in accessible eye care services.”

The university noted that the North East has a shortage of community optometry facilities, suggesting this initiative will help to alleviate some of this pressure by offering free services to the public, provided by supervised students.

Dr Ann French, Dean of the school of health & life sciences, described the initiative as a “win-win” for students and the community, commenting: “We are proud to be investing in facilities that not only elevate the quality of our teaching but also serve the public good.”

It is expected that the new building will open its doors to students starting optometry courses in September 2026.

Public clinics will run throughout the academic year, with services including comprehensive eye exams, vision screenings, and dispensing support.

The optometry clinic is part of Teesside University’s Integrated Care Academy, providing health-related education through multi- and inter-disciplinary approaches.