Sunderland eye hospital: Work to begin in spring 2023

The new hospital would be built on the former Vaux brewery site

Revised plans for a new eye hospital on Wearside have been approved, with work to start next year.

The £36m facility will replace the existing Eye Infirmary on Queen Alexander Road.

Relocating to the former Vaux brewery site will mean Sunderland has the north-east's only dedicated eye hospital.

Plans approved a year ago were resubmitted in August in order to accommodate more patients.

The updated plans include an expanded cataract treatment centre, with non-clinical accommodation moving to the building's top floor, and four additional short-stay drop-off and pick up points outside.

The facility would be able to accommodate up to 342 staff by 2030, an increase of 30 from the previously approved scheme.

It would see the city retain expertise and remain one of the few specialist centres for ophthalmology nationally.

The current Sunderland Eye Infirmary has been operational for more than 75 years

Leader of Sunderland City Council Graeme Miller said: "It will transform ophthalmologic surgery in Sunderland from what is already a world-class facility, which is unfortunately in the wrong place and too old, bringing it into the new city centre.

"I cannot wait to see steel going up on the site".

Work is expected to start in the spring and clinical services will transfer to the new site once building work is complete.

Peter Sutton, executive director of planning and business development at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, welcomed planning permission and told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "This follow up planning application gives us flexibility to add further capacity into the building if we need to expand the new eye hospital in the future.

"It made good sense to do this before building work gets under way."