The National Artificial Eye Service sees almost 30,000 patients every year. Around 1,000 new patients are referred each year and the service provides ongoing aftercare and maintenance for around 40,000 artificial eye wearers in England.
At the NAES headquarters in Blackpool, teams of skilled eye technicians take wax models and specifications from Eye Fitters who work across the UK, and turn them into a prosthesis which matches the patient's natural eye.
The service has more than 70 clinics in England where NHS patients can have their prosthesis checked and polished or replaced if necessary. The service is managed and controlled by the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust but operates nationwide and has it's own specialist large print website that provides information about the service and guidance for artificial eye patients.
For more information about the NAES: