Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust today (Friday 7 December) announced that it has successfully bid for government funding to support Oriel, its exciting proposal to design, build and operate a new, integrated eye care, research and education facility.
Moorfields has managed to secure nearly £20 million of funding as part of the Department of Health & Social Care’s major investment in the long-term future of the NHS.
Oriel will relocate all services from Moorfields Eye Hospital on City Road and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology on Bath Street to the new facility at its preferred site at St Pancras Hospital.
David Probert, chief executive officer for Moorfields Eye Hospital, said:
“We’re very pleased that we have been successful with our bid. This is fantastic news and is a really exciting opportunity for us and our plans to design, build and operate a new, integrated eye care, research and education facility with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
“We’re very proud of the role we play with UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology in leading ophthalmic services in London, the UK and abroad, and we look forward to continuing this role in a new state of the art facility.”
This excellent news comes swiftly after Moorfields hosted a series of exhibitions showcasing preliminary designs for Oriel last month. Five shortlisted teams displayed their proposed designs for Oriel in the hope of being selected to design this new, innovative centre of excellence.
An evaluation panel is now reviewing the designs and will select the preferred team, who will design the new building in close collaboration with the Oriel team, staff and patients. The winning team will be announced in early next year.
The Oriel team is seeking the public’s views and feedback in a series of surveys on accessibility and transport, referrals and waiting. They want to know what matters to patients when visiting Moorfields, and will use this information to shape Oriel priorities.