A ‘transition’ of ophthalmology services from Plymouth’s Royal Eye Infirmary (REI), Mutley, to Derriford Hospital, is now complete, following the reconfiguration and refurbishment of the Avon and Carey wards at Derriford Hospital.
Ophthalmology services were previously provided and managed from the Royal Eye Infirmary, a building that was over 100 years old. The new HLM-designed project provides 16,145 ft2 of modern space for the Ophthalmic Outpatient and Diagnostic service. A new, ‘clearly defined and welcoming’ entrance at Derriford Hospital caters for patients arriving from within the facility, and incorporates new signage easily understood by all, ‘especially the visually impaired’. A discreet waiting area for children, and consult/examination and diagnostics services, now all share a common reception area – ‘helping create a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, despite the large number of people and movements within the department’. The new design also aims to enhance the delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate specialist teaching and training in the clinical rooms, ‘while maintaining the REI identity and reputation within Derriford Hospital’.
