Offering improved facilities for patients and staff, as well as a big boost to city centre footfall, the Eye Hospital has been moving over its services from the ageing Eye Infirmary in Queen Alexandra Road in phases with today, July 23, marking the completion of the move.
All clinical services, including the region's nationally-renowned Cataract Treatment Centre (CTC) and 24/7 Eye Emergency Department, are now available at the new site which overlooks Riverside Park.
The official name of Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital reflects two centuries of specialist eye healthcare in Sunderland, with the very first infirmary opening in 1836 in High Street East.
For the old infirmary, a planning application has been made for dozens of new homes with the old hospital demolished, which you can read about here.
And here’s a look around the new site:
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1. New fixture in Sunderland's ever-changing skyline
The Eye Hospital is a key player on the Riverside site, which is changing the face of Sunderland. | Sunderland Echo
2. "The care in Sunderland is special"
Long-term patient, 40-year-old Michael Boys, from Morpeth, has been under the care of eye specialists in Sunderland since birth as he has congenital cataracts and developed 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. The new city centre location will make it so much easier to get here when it opens, especially for someone like me travelling all the way from Northumberland. The care on offer in Sunderland is very special and I wouldn’t go anywhere else.” | Sunderland Echo
3. Parking facilties
A new carpark has been created for patients on site with 90 bays. Staff, meanwhile, have permits for a floor in the neighbouring Riverside multistorey. | Sunderland Echo
4. Elevated food and drink offering
There's a new coffee shop and cafe on the ground floor and first floor with an elevated food and drink offering including meal deals, pastries, matcha and more. The coffee shops are open to all, you don't need to be a patient. The food and drink sites are run by the Royal Voluntary Service and all profits are ploughed back into healthcare. | Sunderland Echo