Summer opening date set for new eye hospital

Supplied The glass main entrance to Sunderland's new eye hospital. The building has tall windows and is mostly made of brown bricks.Supplied
The new site will replace an outdated facility on Queen Alexandra Road

A new eye hospital will open in July, an NHS trust has confirmed.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust said the Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital would open its eye emergency department at 14:00 BST on 11 July.

All other services would be moved to the site by 23 July, it said.

The centre's ophthalmology matron Carol Jobling said: "We can't wait to be in a building which reflects the excellent care that our staff provide."

Supplied The main staircase of the new eye hospital leading to the out-patients gree reception area. Glass panels surround the stairs with circular lamps on the ceiling.Supplied
Patients say the new city centre location will be easier to access

The new hospital will replace the Sunderland Eye Infirmary on Queen Alexandra Road, which has been deemed no longer fit for purpose.

It will include an A&E waiting space designed with children in mind, children's treatment rooms and the region's Cataract Treatment Centre, which has been set up with an extra theatre.

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