General Chat

Optical Express stooping to a whole new low level! They have been contacting those they have made redundant and practically begging them to return as they have left certain clinics very short staffed and struggling to cope with the patients stupidly walking through this companies doors!
This is a company that didn’t have to make those redundancies, they could’ve kept the staff on furlough before deciding who was surplus to requirements and now they have the brass neck to ask those staff to return.
Bring on the GOC hearing, I hope it’s a fair one and not decided by ‘money’.
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admin: Please email me in confidence sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

I’m really glad I found this website its shed some new light for me regarding laser eye surgery. Thank you!

I had my consultation at OE a few weeks ago and was given the green light for surgery, but I have been on the fence because I’m so anxious about the endless things that could go wrong so I never booked in for the surgery. I suffer from dry eyes and am aware this could get much worse with lasik unsure why I have been given the go ahead for surgery even when this has been highlighted when carrying out the tests in the consultation.

Reading people’s stories on this website and the huge problems they are dealing with now because of this surgery has definitely made me appreciate what I have now. I hope all of you who have been effected recover over time from this ??

One of the questions in OE’s health questionnaire is if I would like glares and halos but still have good distance vision. Absolutely not, I know something like this would be really hard for me to adjust to.

I asked myself is wearing glasses and contacts really getting in the way of my own lifestyle, not at all. If you’re thinking about laser eye surgery you should ask yourself this too.

My personal opinion I just don’t think the risks are worth it, I believe those who had theirs done with no problems are just lucky (like winning the lottery) I won’t gamble with my eyes. The success statistics are so vague with no in-depth meaning. I also understand lasik is not forever your eyes will deteriorate over time naturally anyways.

I’d choose seeing comfortably with glasses and contacts how I am now than getting lasik and experiencing potentially devastating problems to my eye and mental health.
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admin: It is always rewarding to have acknowledgment that the continuing battle to publicise and warn people of the serious risks of this unregulated surgery is worthwhile.
Please contact me as I would very much like to see a copy of OE’s recent health questionnaire sasha@opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

This new post on the Optical Express Facebook page claims they go through all options before surgery. We all know this is bull**** so please go onto their Fb page and select the ? emoji so they get the message that all of us damaged patients know the truth about how they lie time and time again to push you into surgery.
Seems like they forgot to sensor the emojis on this post like they normally do, so go all out.
They cannot delete emojis only delete/hide comments.

Allon Barsam must have his Ophthalmic Consultants of London partners cringing in despair, as he again puts not one, but both feet in his mouth


inews-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/inews...us-crisis-574896/amp

His comments have angered NHS doctors, not least those who were on the front line providing emergency treatment for patients at the height of the pandemic crisis: 'In the UK we treat the NHS like it’s a sacred cow, when in fact it is an inferior service.’*

On 24 May I criticised OCL, who opened for business before lockdown was lifted, and after redaing this article, one disgusted doctor suggested I should ask Barsam what he did to help the NHS during lockdown?

'The government should insist that people earning above a certain amount must pay for private healthcare to help relieve the burden on the NHS and help the industry recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the owner of a leading private eye clinic in London has said….

'The government should insist that more people have private medical insurance to reduce the burden on the NHS and provide stimulus in the private healthcare sector. At the moment only 10 per cent of Britons have private medical insurance and we should aim for 20 per cent.'

Allon Barsom selfishly wants to boost his presumably ailing private practice (I understand from various sources that the refractive industry is operating at 30% capacity), yet one of the joys of this country is that we are all entitled to free NHS care, no matter what our income.

And to suggest that people in higher tax brackets should be forced to pay for private treatment is a very worrying attitude - and totally hypocritical given this admission:
'Dr Barsam said Ophthalmic Consultants, which furloughed three quarters of its 30 staff during lockdown, had taken out a government-backed “bounce back loan” to help it ride out the crisis.’

'Allon specialises in personalised laser and lens vision correction.’
www.oclvision.com/consultants/allon-barsam/

To ask for a bail out to support flashy overstaffed premises for a non essential service, when so many people have lost their jobs, struggle to find money to feed their families, keep a roof over their heads, is as shameless as Richard Branson’s behaviour!
(If this covers all their premises, perhaps OCL should consider down sizing.)

'Dr Allon Barsam, co-owner of Ophthalmic Consultants of London in the Harley Street area, said the NHS is still working at 50 per cent of capacity and that more people should pay for private services to free up availability.'

Where did Dr Barsam get this figure? Because an NHS source told me it is wholly inaccurate, that of course there is a backlog, but during the last six weeks the NHS reached 80% capacity, aiming for 100% next month.

With hyped accomplishments listed on his website bio, professing to be a ‘sought-after expert opinion-leader’, I suspect that Allon Barsam is gearing up as a contender to replace Drs Bobby Qureshi (London Eye Hospital) and Dan Reinstein (London Vision Clinic) as the refractive surgery ‘expert’ on TV shows.

Bobby was of course erased from the General Medical Council (GMC) register last year (apparently now operating in Paris), whilst Reinstein is a laughing stock after his appearance on This Morning show when he told hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford that wearing glasses was dangerous (18 Oct 2019 post), also famous for damaging Anneka Rice's eyes (amongst others).

2014, a Barsam quote: 'I think a litigious environment is good. If there are problems with medical care, patients should have the right to pursue compensation.'
www.thejc.com/business/features/litigiou...-the-scalpel-1.59688

Six years and thousands of ops later, I wonder if this arrogant and self-professed wunderkind still holds the same view?



*For the record Dr Barsam, I - and many thousands of others left with irreparably damaged eyes - value and respect our NHS!

And whilst it's not perfect, often open to criticism, it most certainly IS a sacred cow, because we’d all be f*cked without it!

AND - more importantly Dr Barsam, you should consider that it was private healthcare responsible for ruining our eyes!

NB: GMC Good Medical Practice guidance for doctors state: 'You must make sure that your conduct justifies your patients’ trust in you and the public’s trust in the profession.’
www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-...---maintaining-trust

Allon Barsam's comments do the opposite!

Interesting policy at OCL.

uk.trustpilot.com/review/oclvision.com?page=2

This latest sales pitch from Optical Express is hysterically funny - and tragically desperate!


The function that vision plays in our everyday life is quite staggering.’ No sh*t Sherlock

‘What is the solution?
A short term solution would be to improve the fit of your mask. If you are wearing a surgical mask, mould the bendable strip to fit your nose, this should better conceal your face which in turn should lessen the chance of your breath escaping from the mask. For cotton face masks, simply tighten the sides of your masks to ensure a better fit around the nose area. However this is only a short term fix, with the need for face masks showing no signs of letting up any time soon, it may be time to consider a more sustainable vision correction option such as a laser eye or lens replacement surgery.’
www.opticalexpress.co.uk/magazine/articl...ses-from-steaming-up

Katie is just one of a number of Optical Express employees who've contacted me over the last few months after being made redundant


'A young woman has claimed she was made redundant just 48 hours after telling her employer she was pregnant.

Katie, from Southampton, Hampshire, said: "I think it's purely because it's an inconvenience to have someone pregnant working for your company."'
ttps://www.tyla.com/life/life-news-woman-made-redundant-optical-express-pregnancy-katie-creighton-20200721

And even her long term close friendship with frequently sacked Wee Shugster - aka Hugh Kerr* - didn't help keep Fiona Morton off OE's rapidly increasing redundancy list recently, responsible for sacking many people during her eight years as one of David Moulsdale's core team.

I've been expecting Optical Express to go into administration for almost two years, but they keep hanging on (not refunding deposits helps motivation), and with the entire refractive industry struggling right now, it will be interesting to see if this happens before the General Optical Council Fitness to Practise tribunal in September, because the guaranteed negative publicity can only make things worse for the company!

NB: Disgruntled employees always welcome to contact me with any inside info. Confidentiality guaranteed.

* www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/opt...ared-calling-6875203

OE working with skeleton staff in virtually all departments I’m hearing.
Heard from a source that Moulsdale’s sidekick (well he was then he wasn’t but seems he is again) the delightful Hugh Kerr, seems to be running the show. Sending emails out to the stores.
Consensus is that the company wasn’t well prepared with PPE equipment with stores opening before the equipment was delivered, no clear instructions coming out of their head office advising staff on what to do. Basically thrown the staff in at the deep end.
Removing Optoms from diaries and telling them they are putting them on ‘furlough’ for those days, can they actually do that?
Regional Managers all made redundant...............
This is a sinking ship, will be keeping an eye out for the outcome of the GOC hearing!

I have been made aware of people today that have been made redundant with one weeks notice. I'm guessing a lot more to follow.

Hearing of several redundancies again within Optical Express. Fiona Morton (Head of Projects) rumoured to be one alongwith quite a few Regional Managers and Store Staff.
This is on top of all the staff who were made redundant before the country was put on lockdown.
This is a Company on the skids, not going to be surprised if the lovely (sarcastic) Mr Moulsdale files for Administration (again).
Watch this space.......