New £50m eye hospital officially opens
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation TrustA new £50m eye hospital has officially opened to patients.
The Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital, which replaces the Sunderland Eye Infirmary, cost more than initially planned for due to inflation and higher interest rates.
Clinical director for the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust Ajay Kotagiri said: "The new hospital has been designed to improve the experience of patients and families while giving our teams the facilities they need to provide the very best treatment."
Meanwhile, the mum of one of the first patients said of the new hospital: "I think it'll make a big difference."
Jude Petrie, four, was one of the first patients into the hospital and his mum Natasha Phelps said "everyone was really good" with her son Jude Petrie.
The four-year-old experienced a rash around one of his eyes following a procedure at the Infirmary late last month.
She said: "It's lovely, it's so new and Jude knows he was one of its first patients.
"It's easier to get to, it's more central, it's got the park next to it and we've been to the café."
