The world-leading partnership of Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (Moorfields), UCL, and Moorfields Eye Charity are launching a public planning consultation on the early designs for a proposed new integrated eye care, research and education centre on the site of the St Pancras Hospital in Camden. This joint initiative is called Oriel.

This new integrated centre plans to bring clinicians and scientists closer together to optimise developments in care and research for the benefit of patients. If approved, it will relocate all NHS services from Moorfields Eye Hospital on City Road and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology on Bath Street in Islington to a new, purpose-built facility in Camden.

Moorfields and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology together have a long heritage of ground-breaking research, world-leading education and outstanding clinical care. Looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities of a changing and more digital world, they are seeking to both build on the past and adapt for the future for the benefit of patients and society.

David Probert, chief executive of Moorfields said:

“Through Oriel, we want to create an environment for innovation to flourish, inspiring advances in people’s sight. The feedback that we gain during this important consultation will help us to design this exciting new centre, ensuring that it is fit-for-purpose and accessible all of our users.”

Alan Thompson, Dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences said:

“Oriel is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide a flexible, purpose-built, patient-focused environment that will allow clinicians and scientists to work together to tackle the eye health problems that represent a growing global health and economic burden. With this improved integration, we will be able to increase the scale and speed of progress from scientific discovery to clinical practice, resulting in better clinical outcomes for patients.”

Robert Dufton, CEO of Moorfields Eye Charity said:

“Philanthropy has played an essential role throughout Moorfields Eye Hospital’s 200 year history. Along with our partners at UCL, we are committed to continuing this important work to secure the philanthropic support to fund this ground-breaking facility, which will improve patient outcomes and increase opportunities to develop eye research and education.”

The plans involve developing two acres of the five-acre St Pancras Hospital site, with the remainder of the site development being brought forward by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust’s development partner King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP). The Oriel programme team are working closely with KCCLP to ensure a coordinated approach with their emerging masterplan and to ensure the two schemes knit seamlessly together.

Local residents and businesses now have an opportunity to find out more about the proposals and give their feedback on the early designs.

The Oriel team are holding at two online public discussion meetings taking place on Tuesday 18 August and Monday 24 August, from 6-7pm.

Register to attend by emailing oriel@londoncommunications.co.uk or call the freephone number on: 0800 3077 967

More detailed designs will be released in the autumn following this early consultation exercise, where residents will again have the opportunity to provide further comments, prior to a planning application being submitted to Camden Council later in the year.

Online public discussion meetings will be held on:

  • Tuesday 18 August, 6pm-7pm
  • Monday 24 August, 6pm-7pm

Register to attend:

Email: oriel@londoncommunications.co.uk

Call: 0800 3077 967