Breaking ground for hospital and research centre
Building work has started on the site of a new eyecare, research and education centre in London.
Oriel brings together Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity. The 10-storey, 47,000m2 centre is due to open in 2027 and will enable closer collaboration between clinicians and researchers to speed up the delivery of new treatments.
Dr Martin Kuper, Moorfields Eye Hospital chief executive, said: “We are now in the construction stage of the project to build the new home for Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this stage.
“This centre will support our global reputation for excellence and help us deliver outstanding care for all our patients.”
Professor Alan Thompson, dean of the UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, said: “This is a hugely exciting milestone for Oriel and a great opportunity to celebrate all the work it has taken to get to this point.
“Oriel will allow us to drive forward innovation to support our work in the long-term and strengthen our partnership with Moorfields to deliver real benefits for patients.”
Demolition of six buildings on the site started in late February.
The current Moorfields Eye Hospital buildings are over 120 years old. Moving to a new purpose-built facility promises to improve accessibility and provide a better environment for patients and staff.