Green light for new eye hospital

Plans for a state-of-the-art eyecare, research and education centre have been approved by the NHS and government. 

Oriel is a joint project between Moorfields Eye Hospital, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. Their services will move to a brand-new centre on the site of St Pancras hospital. The building is due to open in 2027. The centre will enable closer working between clinicians and researchers to speed up the delivery of treatments and therapies for patients. 

Martin Kuper, Moorfields chief executive, said: “This is the final approval we have been waiting for, turning Oriel from a proposal into a reality. Our next step will be to start construction work in the new year to build our world-leading centre, which will support our reputation for excellence and our ability to deliver outstanding care for our patients.”

Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay said: “I want every patient to have the best possible experience of our healthcare system and part of that is making sure we have the hospitals to deliver it.”

Mr Barclay added: “The building itself will offer all appointments in closed rooms, giving patients the privacy they deserve, and the latest technology will be utilised to help the visually impaired throughout their hospital trips.” 

UCL president Dr Michael Spence said: “This decision is a vital step forward for an incredibly exciting project that will bring together UCL’s formidable research base with Moorfields’ world-class healthcare delivery in a way that results in major academic and clinical benefits for people living with sight loss throughout the UK and across the world.”

 Professor Alan Thompson, dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, said: “I am absolutely delighted that our exciting plans for Oriel have been given the regulatory seal of approval. Oriel will allow us to drive forward the improvements to support our work in the long-term and strengthen our partnership with Moorfields in delivering real benefits for patients. 

“This next phase of the project is exciting as we start building the centre that will enable more collaborative and innovative working.”  

By 2031-32, Oriel is expected to provide over a million appointments and procedures a year. Oriel will be located close to the UCL Bloomsbury campus. It is one of the first projects in the government’s new hospitals programme. 

For more information, see Oriel