Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital, the charity providing volunteer support and patient experience services at Moorfields Eye Hospital, has pledged £1 million to Moorfields Eye Charity towards a new centre for advancing eye health, opening in 2027.
Oriel is the joint partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity that will move services from Islington to a new, integrated centre in St Pancras, Camden. This generous gift is helping to fund the state-of-the-art centre creating an environment for innovation and collaboration to flourish, delivering groundbreaking research and developing new treatments for patients faster than ever before.
Friends of Moorfields handholder.
Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital manage over 300 volunteers, providing vital services including directions on arrival, guidance around the hospital, behind-the-scenes assistance in the pharmacy, and a much-valued handholding service giving trained emotional support to patients during procedures. Friends also operate the Health Information Hub, where patients can access information about their eye conditions and discover how to access relevant services. They will continue to provide this practical and emotional support in the new centre.
Centre for advancing eye health interior (architectural rendering).
Philanthropy is critical to achieving the new eye centre and Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital’s generous gift will help to make the centre a reality. The new centre has been co-designed with patients, staff and partners to create the highest quality patient experience in an accessible environment. It will be an exemplar for patient care worldwide.
Angela Smith, chief executive, Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital said: “We’re delighted to support this pioneering eye centre of the future. Our gift is an important part of our vision and it emphasises the vital role Friends of Moorfields plays in ensuring the new centre delivers an outstanding experience for patients - a leading model in the NHS which will reach even more people around the world.”
Friends of Moorfields Health Hub volunteer.
Robert Dufton, chief executive, Moorfields Eye Charity said: “We’re so very grateful to the Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital for their donation. This gift is helping to make the new centre possible – with patients’ needs at its heart. It will enable the highest standards for patient care with the best clinicians, researchers and educators working together. It will help to save people’s sight and change lives.”
Bouygues UK, the lead contractor, are progressing rapidly with construction. Foundations have been laid and the building is taking shape floor by floor. Renewable energy is being used, part of the project’s ambition for lean, clean and green ways of working towards meeting NHS and UCL net zero targets and sustainability goals. The new centre is due to open in 2027.
Moorfields Eye Charity and UCL are working in partnership on a fundraising campaign to support Oriel, the joint partnership between Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Charity.
