People with eye conditions will be able to access a brand-new state-of-the-art facility this year as the building for a new Royal Eye Infirmary (REI) is well underway.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust’s new REI on William Prance Road will include theatres, an increased number of treatment rooms and an expanded area for children. The hospital will serve the Tavistock area.

Dave Adams, Head of the Optometry Department, explains how the move will be good for patients: “We are an aging population which means that eye care and eye issues are going to continue to increase, with more people experiencing conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.

“The new REI means more space and more equipment which is good news for waiting times for patients accessing our services.

“We can treat more patients if we have the space, the staff and the equipment, and the good news is that we are employing more staff to work here too.

“In addition, when we move off the busy Derriford Hospital site, University Hospitals Plymouth will be able to put more wards in that space and take some of the pressure off the Emergency Department.”

The new REI includes the addition of a third operating theatre dedicated to sub-specialisms, such as oculoplastic, orbital and corneal surgeries, to start to reduce the waiting times of patients from across Devon and Cornwall.

The new REI will have improved access for patients with a drop-off zone and parking. It is due to open in Spring 2023.