Photo: Moorfields Eye Hospital

Moorfields has launched a consultation to give patients and the public a say on plans to move the hospital to a new facility in central London. The so-called Oriel proposal suggests building an innovative centre at St Pancras Hospital bringing together excellent eye care, ground-breaking research and world-leading education in ophthalmology on one site.

The proposal is a partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital, the University College London (UCL) Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. It would see Moorfields Eye Hospital move its City Road services to the St Pancras Hospital site in Camden, where a new integrated facility housing the three partners would be built. 

Following feedback from patients, extensive research and a detailed appraisal of options the partners say they want to create a new centre that will bring clinicians and scientists closer together to exploit developments in care and research for the benefit of patients. 

This cannot be done effectively at Moorfields’ City Road site which was built over a century ago, they said. They added feedback from patients and carers is consistently very positive about clinical care, but some find City Road confusing to navigate, crowded and not suitable for wheelchair users.

Almost 10% of all UK NHS hospital appointments are for eyes, and the problem is set to worsen. By 2050 it’s estimated that four million people in the UK will be living with sight loss because of an ageing population and rising incidence of diseases like diabetes and obesity.

The consultation closes on Monday 16 September, after which commissioners for 14 London and Hertfordshire clinical commissioning groups which hold contracts with Moorfields will decide whether the proposed move should proceed to the next stage of planning. 

If commissioners supported the proposal, Moorfields and UCL would develop their plans and related business cases reflecting views received during the public consultation. If approved, these business cases would result in Moorfields and UCL selling the current City Road site, buying land at St Pancras and appointing a construction firm. The new facility could open to patients in 2025/26. 

Moorfields Eye Hospital chief executive David Probert said, “This is a crucial milestone in our ambitious proposal to design, build and operate a new, integrated eye care, research and education facility. Our ability to provide modern, efficient and effective treatment is achieved despite the limitations of our century-old City Road site, which sometimes means that patients do not always get the best care, delivered in modern ways.  

“That is why we are looking at moving to a new purpose-built centre where we would be able to transform lives, turn research into new treatments faster and share our knowledge and understanding with the clinicians of tomorrow. I strongly encourage patients, staff and the wider public to use this consultation to send us their views.”  

UCL Institute of Ophthalmology director Professor Andrew Dick said, “Oriel will help us develop our fundamental and discovery research excellence. A clear understanding of the needs of patients and staff will be vital to the development of a flexible, patient-focused environment that maximises the opportunities to translate science into experimental medicine and trials in patients, leading to new medical technologies, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and digital products.”