Moorfields Eye Hospital

Project Summary

The ICAP Special Eyes Room was opened in 2009 and is the only facility in the country dedicated to the treatment of prosthetics consultation for children aged 4 months to 17 years.  The ICAP Special Eyes room enables the patient and their parents privacy during consultations.  Visits for the children involve much discussion and reassurance and include moulding and fitting appointments as well as colour matching appointments.  Most importantly, the ICAP Special Eyes Room provides a space that the child and their parent can become familiar with and feel comfortable in.  

The ICAP Special Eye’s Room sees approximately 900 children a year; many of whom come for multiple prosthetic fittings as they grow into an adult. Prosthesis are provided to children who have had an eye removed because of a tumour in or around the eye and for those with underdeveloped or malformed eyes or in the very worst cases, being born with no eyes.  Sadly, injuries also contribute to the need.  

The children are always astonished when they receive their first prosthetic, leading one to proclaim "YOU LET ME SMILE AGAIN" while another says "THANKS FOR MY LONDON EYE".

Parents are also thrilled with the results as a good prosthesis is very important to a child’s self esteem, allowing them to look and feel ‘normal’ and the same as other children. 

“You saw my daughter Hannah who is five in the autumn and fitted her with a new eye.  I just wanted to let you know that it is fabulous!  Lots of people have commented on it and I am sure it will do a lot for Hannah's confidence in the future” - Jo Gibbins

The ICAP Special Eyes Room allows children to have their artificial eyes fitted in a dedicated, child friendly facility which affords adequate privacy for them and their parents.  This facility is situated on the ground floor of the Richard Desmond Children’s Eye Centre at Moorefields Eye Hospital, adjacent to the Special Eyes Factory where the lab work and manufacturing work is undertaken.