Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital to welcome patients from mid-July

Work is underway to prepare Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital to welcome patients from mid-July.

Keys to the new hospital were handed over to South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust at the end of May from construction partner, Kier Construction.

The trust has been working with its facilities management partner, Choice, to prepare the building to welcome patients, including deep cleaning and installing furniture, clinical equipment and IT systems.

Services will move across to the new city centre site in phases, starting with the eye emergency department which will open at 2pm on Saturday 11 July. Patients will be required to call ahead using the trust’s 24/7 emergency phone line before arriving.

All other eye services will move across by Thursday 23 July.

Details making it clear where patients should go for planned appointments will be set out in appointment letters and text messages. They will be advised to still attend the Sunderland Eye Infirmary until told otherwise.

A public awareness campaign featuring the eyes of patients and staff at Sunderland Eye Infirmary will be launched to ensure people are aware of the move to the new site from mid-July.

A leaflet will be shared with patients to help them get to know the new hospital, with a map, details on reaching the site by public transport, on foot, or by car, and details for parking.

Carol Jobling, matron for ophthalmology, said: “We are now working as quickly as possible to get things ready to move our eye services across to the new site. We will be sad to say goodbye to what has been our home for more than 70 years, but we can’t wait to be in a building which reflects the excellent care that our staff provide.”

Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital has been built in partnership with Sunderland City Council.

The new hospital will be home to the region’s cataract treatment centre, eye emergency department, and an eye clinic liaison officer service. The new location will also benefit from a dedicated Surgical Day Unit and a Treatment and Investigation Unit.