Building a new hospital has been our plan for a long time. Our current building is more than 75 years old. It is no longer fit for purpose. 

We want our space to reflect the excellent care and treatment that takes place inside. Our new building will do that. It will give the best experience for you and our staff. 

We worked with architects to develop ideas and had help from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) too. 

The new Eye Hospital will have an Emergency Department (ED). This will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It will also have a Cataract Treatment Centre, Retinal Unit and more theatre space. 

It will also have areas dedicated to wellbeing. These include a breastfeeding space, a Changing

Places toom and baby changing facilities. There will also be a quite and faith room. A café will look out over the River Wear. 

See the building start to take shape 

The video below shows a timelapse from March 2024 to July 2025. Watch the Eye Hospital start to take shape.