A decision for a new £36m eye hospital on Sunderland’s riverside has been accepted by planners. The project will lead to new facilities being developed at the Sunderland Eye Infirmary on Queen Alexandra Road the city’s old Vaux site. The new eye hospital on Sunderland’s riverside is set to open by 2024. The plans for the world-leading care offered on Wearside are led by the South Tyneside and Sunderland Hospitals NHS Trust together with Sunderland City Council.
The new eye hospital on Sunderland’s riverside will be the region’s only dedicated NHS eye hospital, and it has been modelled with feedback from groups together with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Trust stated that there had also been an high positive response from the residents and patients after a consultation process. The scheme’s preferred contractor will be revealed in the coming days. All of the clinical services currently which were being offered at Sunderland Eye Infirmary will transfer to the new facility, which is termed as more accessible city centre location. The new building is designed by Architect Ryder with M&E consultant CAD 21.
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A world-class eye hospital in Sunderland
The new eye hospital on Sunderland’s riverside will also become the Regional Cataract Treatment Centre. The South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust chief executive, Ken Bremner, stated how the news was excellent, adding: “We are happy to see our ambition to develop a world-class eye hospital in Sunderland take this vital forward step. “We could not have done all this without the involvement and feedback from the patients, partners and of also the fantastic staff.”Their input and expertise has been invaluable and is helping us to develop an innovative facility that will offer the highest standards of care for the patients and generations to come.”
Mr Bremner added that the public and patients would continue to be involved in the process as construction went closer. Coun Graeme Miller, the Sunderland City Council leader added: “I’m excited to see the plans for the new £36m eye hospital on Sunderland’s riverside moving forward, as I know residents will be too. “Riverside Sunderland will transform into a world-class urban quarter – the quality of the developments on the area is truly second-to-none, and the hospital will be no exception.”
