NHS staff celebrate ‘incredibly exciting’ new home as Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital fully opens

A new era of eye care begins today (23 July) as the North East’s newest hospital Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital fully opens to the public.

This marks a historic milestone for South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, as Sunderland Eye Infirmary closes its doors for the final time after serving patients for more than 80 years.

Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital provides a new home for world-class eye services, which will serve communities across the North East and North Cumbria for generations to come.

It is a purpose-built facility that will help meet growing demand for specialist ophthalmology care, building on Sunderland’s proud eye care heritage which stretches back almost 200 years.

The move represents the culmination of years of planning and investment and creates a modern new home for one of the country’s leading eye care services.

Departments have transferred to the new hospital in phases over recent weeks, with every service now fully operational from the Riverside Sunderland site. To celebrate, staff gathered this week to mark being together in their new home for the first time.

Ajay Kotagiri is the Clinical Director for the Trust’s eye services.

He said: “This is an incredibly exciting moment for our patients, our staff and everyone connected with our eye care services.

“Sunderland Eye Infirmary has cared for generations of people. It will always hold a special place in our history.

“However, Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital gives us a modern environment equipped with the latest technology. It will allow us to deliver outstanding care now and for many years to come.

“The new hospital has been designed to improve the experience of patients and families while giving our teams the facilities they need to provide the very best treatment.

“So much work has gone into getting us ready to this day and I’m so grateful for the work of all our teams which have got us here.”

Ken Bremner MBE is the Trust’s Chief Executive.

He said: “It is a tremendous achievement by everyone involved in getting us to this day. I want to thank everyone who has played a part in planning and building this fantastic facility.

“It is a very proud moment in our history and will see us offer eye care for Sunderland and our region for many decades to come.”

Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital’s 24/7 Eye Emergency Department was the first to open and welcomed patients from Saturday, 11 July.

Among those who have attended the Eye Emergency Department since it opened is four-year-old Jude Petrie, who visited with his mother Natasha Phelps.

Jude experienced a rash around one of his eyes following a procedure to treat a squint in both eyes at Sunderland Eye Infirmary late last month. They visited on its first Sunday, before returning a couple of days later for further care.

Natasha, 30, from Chester-le-Street said: “It’s lovely, it’s so new and Jude knows he was one of its first patients. Everyone has been really good with him and made sure he’s been looked after.

“It’s easier to get to, it’s more central, it’s got the park next to it and we’ve been to the café. I think it’ll make a big difference.”

The hospital is the region’s first all-electric powered hospital and has been constructed with a series of environmental features, including a green roof on its energy centre, air source heat pumps and solar panels. It has electric vehicle charging points and disabled spaces in its 90-space car park, which is set aside for patient use.

It is also paper-light, as electronic records are used by the teams, and there is cycle storage for staff.

The hospital also boasts a coffee shop and café, which are run by the RVS charity, a baby feeding space, a quiet/faith room and it is the base of its Eye Care Liaison Officers (ECLOs), which is a support service run by the RNIB.

The new hospital was built in partnership with Sunderland City Council and built by Kier Construction.

The Trust’s dedicated charity, STS Charity, ran the Vision Appeal, raising funds for enhanced equipment, to improve the patient experience initiatives and staff wellbeing beyond standard NHS provision.

More about the hospital can be found via this page: Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital