Sunderland eye hospital replacement plan unveiled

Plans for a new £36m eye hospital in Sunderland have been unveiled.

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust wants to replace the existing 75-year-old centre with a new hospital on the Riverside Sunderland development at the former Vaux site.

If plans are approved, the trust hopes to have the new hospital treating patients by 2024.

Public consultations will be held with the trust claiming it is "keen" to hear from as many people as possible.

Clinical director for ophthalmology services Jean-Pierre Danjoux said: "There is no doubt that our current building is dated and no longer fit for purpose."

The Royal National Institute of Blind People is also being consulted to make sure the hospital is built around the needs of those with sight impairments, a trust spokesman said.

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