Moorfields, Richard Desmond Children's Eye Centre
Richard Desmond Children's Eye Centre (RDCEC)
3 Peerless Street
London
EC1V 9EZ
0207 253 3411
A&E
NHS
About Moorfields
Summary
The Richard Desmond Centre (RDCEC) is the world’s largest children’s hospital exclusively dedicated to treatment and investigation of ocular disorders in paediatric patients.
With a child-centric design the RDCEC has a warm and inviting atmosphere. Our centre has excellent facilities and cutting-edge technology. We have children-friendly waiting areas, outpatient consultation areas, a day care unit, and a specialist children's A&E and accommodation for overnight stays for both children and their caregivers.
We are based on the same campus as the main hospital in London's City Road, but have a separate entrance in Peerless Street.
Getting to Richard Desmond Children's Eye Centre
By tube
Northern Line (Bank branch) to Old Street station. Come out of subway four and follow the green painted line to the building.
Moorgate (Northern, Hammersmith and City, Circle, Metropolitan), Barbican (Circle, Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan) and Angel (Northern) are about a 10 minute walk away.
There is currently no step-free access at Old Street station. If you require this, please travel via Farringdon (taking the 55/243 buses to Old Street) or Kings Cross (205 bus towards Moorfields).
By bus
21, 43, 55, 76, 141, 205, 214, 243, 271, 394, and 733 (new weekday route to replace the Northern Line) serve City Road and Old Street.
By train
Old Street station is on the First Capital Connect line. Liverpool Street station, Kings Cross station and Euston station are all a short bus ride away. For more information please visit the National Rail website.
By car
The Richard Desmond Centre (RDCEC) is based on the same campus as the main hospital in London's City Road, but has a separate entrance in Peerless Street.
Moorfields Eye Hospital is on the A501, and is approximately 6.5 miles from junction one on the M1. Parking around the hospital is very limited, although there is some meter parking and some privately-operated car parks.
Facilities
Clinical services
- Children's A&E
- Pharmacy
- Outpatient procedure rooms
- Day care ward
- Children friendly waiting areas
Assistive facilities
- Disabled toilets
- Induction loop
- Learning disability liaison officer
- Signing services
- Step-free access
- Text relay
- Translation services
Other
- Coffee shop
- Overnight accommodation for children and parents
- Toilets
- WiFi Internet
- Charging Station
Parking at RDCEC
Disabled Parking
If you hold a valid blue badge, or are driving the holder of a valid blue badge as a passenger, you can park in the designated disabled bays outside the hospital in City Road - please check the signs on the bays to confirm for how long you can park. You can also park in Cayton Street (the location of the hospital's main entrance) on the yellow lines where there are no loading restrictions for up to three hours, provided the clock card is displayed and set to your time of arrival. Please see links below for the two local boroughs advice
For more information about blue badge parking and the location of dedicated parking for disabled people in Islington and Hackney visit.
Car parks*
- City Garden Row Car Park, Islington, London N1 8LH, 8am-6:30pm
- Elia Mews Car Park, 29 Nelson Terrace, The Angel, London N1 8DG, 7am-6pm
- NCP London Finsbury Square, Finsbury Square, Finsbury, London EC2A 1AD, 24hrs
- Westland Place car park, 18 Westland Place, N1 7NP
- Union Car Parks Ltd, Clere St, Shoreditch, London EC2A 4UY
- Euro Car Park Shoreditch, 162-167 Shoreditch High St, Hackney, London E1 6HU, 24hrs
* Moorfields Eye Hospital Foundation Trust does not run or have any affiliation with any of these car parks. Drivers park at their own risk.
Congestion charge for vehicles
Congestion charging operates in central London, Monday - Sunday, please see the TfL website for its timings. Moorfields Eye Hospital is located just within the congestion charge zone, the perimeter of which runs along the City Road itself. Both the main entrance to the hospital on Cayton Street and the entrance to the children's centre on Peerless Street are inside the zone and in Islington Borough as are all the side streets on the west side of the City Road. City Road itself and the streets to the east are not within the zone. Streets to the east are operated by Hackney Council.
If your plans change you can request certain amendments to a charge, or a refund for the days you are not going to use. Visit the congestion charge costs and refunds website.
Ultra Low Emission Zone
Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year within the same area of central London as the Congestion Charge. Most vehicles, including cars and vans, need to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or their drivers must pay a daily charge to drive within the zone.
For more information about ULEZ and it check your vehicle visit TfL Ultra Low Emission Zone website.
Note: you are unable to claim back under the Healthcare Travel Cost Scheme for this charge.
Cycling
There are cycle racks in Baldwin Street, off City Road. You can hire bikes in London from as little as £2 per journey and there are docking stations all over central London, and all you need is a bank card to get started. The nearest docking station to the hospital is on Baldwin Street.
Visit the Santander Cycles London hire website for more information about bike hire within London.
Please note that Moorfields Eye Hospital is not responsible for the content of external websites
Pharmacy
Our pharmacy is located on the ground floor of our City Road hospital and can be used to fulfil all Moorfields prescriptions. Find out about how our pharmacy works.
Outpatient waiting list
From 1 September 2024 we are making changes to how we manage our follow-up appointment process.
For more information about these changes and what they mean for you visit our post appointment page. If you have any further questions, please do contact us using the contact information provided.
Follow-up appointment frequently asked questions
Why are you making changes to how my outpatient appointments are made?
We want to improve your experience as a patient at Moorfields by making the process of booking your next outpatient appointment more efficient. The new process will reduce the number of cancellations made, which will further increase the efficiency of our clinics, ensuring patients are seen when they need to be.
Instead of providing you with a date for your next appointment when you are next in clinic, you will be placed on a managed list for your specific condition and your appointment will be booked on a date determined by the clinician who is managing your care.
This means you will receive your appointment date closer to the time you are due to be seen. For example, if you are scheduled to see us for a follow-up in six months’ time, we’d contact you with your appointment details approximately 6 weeks ahead of the date you are due in.
Those patients who need to be seen sooner, or reviewed more regularly, will still be provided with an appointment time before they leave clinic.
Do I need to contact my clinic?
The new process will happen automatically, so you are not required to take any action, unless you need to tell us of a change in your contact details. If you need to update your contact details or communication preferences, please email moorfields.outpatientbookingsbc@nhs.net if you are a patient at City Road.
For patients at other Moorfields sites, please contact your clinic using the contact details you will have received in previous communications from us.
What if I can’t make the appointment date you give me?
If you are unable to attend the date provided, you will be able to contact us to arrange a date that is more suitable for you. There will be a contact phone number and email address on your appointment letter.
What if I am worried about my sight/eye health in between appointments and feel I need to be seen sooner?
If you feel that your condition does not require emergency attention, but you need to be seen before your next scheduled appointment, please contact us as soon as possible using the information provided on your previous letter from us.
The clinician in charge of your care will, if required, arrange for you to be seen sooner, or they may give you advice on how to manage your condition in the time between your appointments, for example.
If you have serious concerns about your eye health, or if you experience sudden sight loss, it’s important that you let us know straight away. To do this, you can use our A&E service at City Road or log on to our online A&E platform, where you will be able to speak to a doctor.
If you do not live close to London, or cannot access our online A&E service, please go straight to your nearest eye care unit.
What support can I get from Moorfields to help manage my eye condition in between appointments?
Please continue to follow the healthcare advice given to you by your team between appointments. If you are required to administer eye drops to keep your condition stable, please do so. If you need any further support, you can speak to one of our nurses via the nurse-led helpline on 0207 566 2345.
If you experience sudden sight loss, or eye injury, please attend your nearest eye care unit or log on to our online A&E service.
Who can I speak to about how my appointments are managed?
If you have any questions about your appointment, please contact the information on the appointment letter or text message provided. If you have any concerns or complaints about your care, you can contact our Patient Advice and Liaison (PALs) team by calling the team on 020 7566 2324, or by emailing them at moorfields.pals@nhs.net