01 June 2026
The keys for the new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital have been officially handed over by construction partners, beginning a countdown to the opening of the new facilities.
Leaders at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust took their first steps inside the new facilities following an official handover event.
The build has been completed on schedule in just over two years and now the NHS will enter a “mobilisation phase” to start making final preparations ahead of opening.
It is expected that the building will open to patients later in the summer.
Ken Bremner MBE, chief executive of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, described the event as “not only a huge day for us as a Trust, but for the NHS regionally and nationally as we continue to build services fit for the future.”
The new Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital will see all clinical services move from the existing site on Queen Alexandra Road.
This will include the region’s Cataract Treatment Centre, which has been set up with an extra theatre to treat even more patients.
Bremner said: “We are exceptionally proud that Sunderland is home to the North East’s only specialist eye hospital, but we know its impact is felt far and wide, beyond the city, thanks to the care and treatment we deliver.”
“Getting the keys to the building is the next step in this journey as we continue to look after people’s eyes, from our very young patients, to helping those in their later years. They will soon have access to an outstanding facility to match the excellent eye care inside,” he added.
The development of the new hospital has been achieved through partnership working between the NHS, Sunderland City Council and construction partner Kier.
NHS staff, patients, and partners from the voluntary sector including the Royal National Institute of Blind People have also been involved in designing the new facility.
The city centre location of the new hospital will provide better access and transport connections for patients travelling from across the North East for specialist eye care.
Present at the key handover event was Michael Boys, 40, who has been under the care of specialists in Sunderland since birth as a result of congenital cataracts, and developing glaucoma as a teenager.
He said: “I was invited to the groundbreaking ceremony when the building work started, and it is amazing that the new eye hospital is now fully complete.”
Boys lives in Morpeth, Northumberland and explained that the new city centre location of the hospital would make it much easier to access.
Councillor Chris Eynon, leader of Sunderland City Council, described the new hospital as a “world-class facility, that will deliver exceptional care to patients.”
Commenting on the handover, Dan Doherty, regional director for Kier Construction North and Scotland, shared that by combining a collaborative approach with sustainable infrastructure “we have created a future-ready facility designed to perform for the long-term health of the community.”
Further details about the phased opening dates of the hospital will be released in the coming weeks along with a public information campaign. For the time being, the NHS has emphasised that patients should continue to attend their appointments as usual at Sunderland Eye Infirmary until told otherwise.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to join the discussion. Log in