Enjoy an early look around Sunderland's £48m new eye hospital at topping out ceremony

The ceremony took place on the roof of the fourth floor, marking completion of the maximum height of the building.

Part of the city’s Riverside Development, the new eye hospital will house the region’s nationally renowned Cataract Treatment Centre (CTC), a 24/7 Eye Emergency Department and, for the first time, have a Day of Surgery Admissions (DOSA) unit.

This is where patients coming in for surgery will have their procedure before being discharged home later that day.

There will also be dedicated facilities for children who will have their own waiting and recovery area.

The new Eye Hospital will continue to support world-leading research and provide much improved education and training facilities for its own staff, as well as those training in the region and starting out in their NHS careers.

Performing the ceremonial cement laying on the roof of the building was South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Ken Bremner MBE, Council Leader Cllr Michael Mordey, and Regional Director of Kier Construction, Dan Doherty.

Mr Bremner said: “This is a milestone day in our project to create a fantastic new eye hospital in Sunderland. It will see our outstanding eye services get the fit for purpose surroundings which reflect the hospital’s position as one of the country’s top specialist centres for eye care.

“It is a delight to stand side by side with our partners to mark this day and see the progress already made on the site. Thousands of people pass it every day and it has been fascinating to see the build rise up from the ground.

“We can’t wait for that moment when we open its doors and welcome our staff, patients and their loved ones to facilities which will be modern, bright and fit for the future.”

Cllr Mordey added: “It was a pleasure to be here to mark the one year milestone since the start of the construction of the new eye hospital.

“It’s a pivotal part of our Riverside masterplan to drive footfall and growth in the city centre.

“We want to double the number of people living and working in the city centre and having the eye hospital as part of the Riverside Development is a key aspect of that.”

Sunderland has been widely recognised as a pioneering specialist in eye care since a first hospital was established 200 years ago in the East End of the city before the existing Eye Infirmary was built on Queen Alexandra Road during the second world war.

However, the old building has reached the end of its operating lifespan and the new facility on Plater Way will enable the city to remain at the forefront of both regional and national ophthalmology.

Fiona McKinley and Carol Jobling work at the eye hospital and were in the city centre for the toping out ceremony and to see their new workplace taking shape.

Directorate manager Fiona said: “It’s extremely exciting to see the progress and to see the scale of the building and see where the different departments will be.”

Carol, who works as a hospital matron, added: “We are currently working in an outdated, overcrowded old building.

“Although it’s a well loved building we are really looking forward to moving into a purpose built facility that represents the excellent care we give to our patients.

“Moving forward, it will be a building which our patients and staff deserve. This building has been specifically designed for patients that have low vision and so it will be light and airy, there will be contrasting colours with plenty of open space to help patients move around.”

Fiona also highlighted how the increased number of operating theatres will enable the hospital to bring down waiting times.

The new hospital is being built by Kier Construction.

Regional director Dan Doherty said: "We are incredibly proud to be part of this transformative project that will significantly enhance healthcare services in the region.

“This milestone marks an important step towards delivering what will be an outstanding hospital, designed to meet the needs of patients and staff alike.

“We look forward to continuing our work with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and Sunderland City Council to bring this vision to life."

The STS Charity, which is run by the Trust to support its staff and make patient experiences even better, is running a £1 million appeal to get additional kit and extras for the new hospital.

More details about how to donate, the kit the funds will be used to buy, and the page where online cash support can be pledged can be found through the Vision Appeal page of the STS Charity section of the Trust website.

The hospital is due to open in spring 2026. Catering for today’s (December 11) topping out ceremony was provided by Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen.