Work on new eye hospital reaches major milestone

Sunderland City Council leader Michael Mordey, Dan Doherty from construction firm Kier, and the NHS trust's Ken Bremner marked the topping out of the building

A major new eye hospital has been "topped out" a year after construction work began.

The facility is being built on the former Vaux Brewery site in Sunderland and is due to open in 2026.

It will replace the eye infirmary building on Queen Alexandra Road, which is almost 80 years old.

The new hospital will treat more patients in a centre that is "fit for the future", health bosses said.

The new hospital will feature an eye emergency department

Topping out is a ceremony traditionally held when the last beam is placed at the top of a building.

Ken Bremner, chief executive of South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Trust, said: "We're almost halfway through one of the most complex but fantastic building schemes I have probably ever seen in my lifetime.

"The old one has been in existence essentially since the Second World War so it's past its sell-by date, but nonetheless the staff there provide a great service."

Mr Bremner said the hospital, which will also bring an eye accident and emergency department to the city centre, could further speed up response times.

Michael Mordey, leader of Labour-led Sunderland City Council, said the site was a "key part" of the area's regeneration.

He said relocating the "very best specialists" to a "state-of-the-art facility" would "cement its position as a number one eye hospital in the country".

Fiona McKinley and Carol Jobling work at the existing Sunderland Eye Infirmary

Staff working at the existing site said they were faced with a number of issues including only having one lift to transport patients.

Matron Carol Jobling said a lot of staff were fond of the "unique" building.

"Many have worked here for a number of years, so the transition will be quite a change," she said.

"We have patients who have been treated since they were children, my own mother was a child of the eye infirmary and was treated here throughout her life.

"A lot of our patients have a very similar experience."

Fiona McKinley, directorate manager of ophthalmology, added: "Staff love working here, it has a really nice feel, but it is an aging building and we do have a number of challenges."

The original hospital building opened in 1948