‘Amazing’ new eye care facility welcomes first patients

The expanded Centre for Eyecare Excellence is open for bookings
Wall of glasses in new Centre for Eyecare Excellence

‘Amazing’ new eye care facility welcomes first patients

The expanded Centre for Eyecare Excellence is open for bookings

A new facility offering free eye care to the local community has opened at the University of Plymouth.
The new £7.7m Centre for Eyecare Excellence opened its doors to the public at its new Hepworth House location on the University’s city centre campus.
The facility is an expanded, improved version of its previous premises on Gibbon Street, allowing Optometry students treat members of the public under supervision with state-of-the art equipment in a setting that echoes what they will experience when they qualify.
The new CEE contains 34 treatment rooms, along with teaching space and research labs to enable students to have the best learning experience and provide outstanding care for the local community and beyond.
The University of Plymouth provides the largest range of healthcare courses in the South West, with hands-on placement opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities a core part of every healthcare programme. 

It’s so good that the new Centre for Eyecare Excellence is open and we can see members of the public in our brand new facility.

Clinics range from glaucoma to contact lenses and general appointments, and anyone can call up and book in to see us. 
It’s a fantastic facility for our students too, as the range of clinics we can host here will give them such a diverse experience, ready for them to head into practice when they are fully qualified optometrists.

Jodie BurkeJodie Burke
Clinical Lead Optometrist at the University of Plymouth

The facility is great, there’s so much great equipment and it’s brand new, which is so nice. Everyone is so kind and I feel like we have great students and supervisors that really add more to the facility, and it’s going to be a great year ahead.

If you need help, you have your supervisors and teachers to be there, so I definitely recommend anyone to join the Optometry programme. 
It’s an amazing place to be.

Third-year Optometry student Bipasha Parmar 
 

Optometry student in new Centre for Eyecare Excellence
Entrance to new Centre for Eyecare Excellence
Student with patient in new Centre for Eyecare Excellence

I was here to get a prescription for screen work. It’s very well organised and I felt very taken care of.

My appointment was very good and thorough, so I felt really happy with my experience.

Anna Jordan, one of the first patients to attend an appointment at the new CEE
 

Alongside eye care appointments at CEE, University students also deliver care to the public in online nutrition clinics and in primary care dentistry, as well as offering pro bono legal advice in the campus-based Law Clinic.

More information

Optometry clinical equipment and techniques UV light in the eye
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BSc (Hons) Optometry students using latest equipment.
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A bright, colourful cartoon graphic of Plymouth city centre with the university buildings and local landmarks picked out
Our work with the local community