The comfort of patients with sight loss is being built into the design of a new eye hospital, health bosses have said.
The facility in Sunderland is set to open next year and its layout, visibility and lighting have all been designed with input from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
It will include an eye care liaison officer (ECLO) room at the front of the building which will be well lit and fitted with high-contrast colours and comfortable seating for patients.
RNIB practice lead Cathie Burke said she was “super optimistic” about the new hospital as the ECLO rooms in the current site are “hidden away at the back”.