Oxford Eye Hospital unveils new equipment and refurbished waiting area

Staff and patients at the Oxford Eye Hospital have celebrated a series of improvements for patients, funded by Oxford Hospitals Charity.

Based in the West Wing at the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Eye Hospital has the busiest waiting area across the whole of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH), hosting around 180,000 appointments and procedures every year.

The event unveiled the transformation of the department’s waiting area, with 12-year-old Eliza Hammond and 86-year-old Christine Curtis, both Eye Hospital patients, taking centre stage at a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Christine, a former nurse from Horton-cum-Studley, near Oxford, was one of a number of patients who fed into the design. She described the transformation as "fabulous" and said that it "cheered the place up no end".

New seating, artwork and colour-coded designs featuring scenes from across Oxford have created a more welcoming, accessible space that is easier for patients with eye condition to navigate.

It has been designed by Jonathan Brett, a member of the Eye Hospital team, who worked closely with the charity to address the unique needs of patients.

The event also showcased over £200,000 of state-of-the-art medical equipment funded by the charity to speed up diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of a number of serious eye conditions.

This includes an Anterion machine, funded thanks to a generous legacy. This new equipment dramatically speeds up the diagnosis of glaucoma, cutting the waiting times for new patients by nearly 40% since its introduction in September 2025.

Rebecca Turner, Interim Ophthalmology Clinical Director, said: "We wanted to celebrate these significant improvements for our patients and thank Oxford Hospitals Charity and its donors for their fantastic support.  

"With thousands coming through our department every week, it can be a bit confusing for patients, especially those who are visually impaired. The new design is such a step forward, and we are already receiving lots of positive feedback. We are very grateful to Jon and of course the charity and its kind donors who have made this possible.

"We were also keen to share the new equipment funded by the charity, as this is playing a vital role in speeding up and improving our service through more reliable diagnostic scans and fewer hospital trips for patients."

Douglas Graham, CEO of Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: "It's fabulous to hear the passion from staff about these important improvements. This is what our charity is all about, working with staff in the hospitals to make a long and lasting difference for patients. It’s been truly inspiring."

Felicity Taylor-Drewe, Chief Operating Officer at OUH, said: "It was fantastic to see the transformation of the Eye Hospital first-hand; the new environment is so much easier for patients to navigate. It was also great to hear about the equipment, also funded by Oxford Hospitals Charity, which is speeding up diagnosis and bringing down waiting lists. This will make such a difference for patients."