GMC General Medical Council 3/3

Ophthalmologist Ian Simmons widely advertises as a medico-legal expert, and has accepted instructions from both the GOC and General Medical Council (GMC).



And whilst he may be a skilled paediatric eye specialist, he is most definitely not a refractive surgeon

Yet I am aware that his reports are responsible for many complaints against ophthalmic surgeons being closed by GMC case examiners, one so poor that Optical Express even included it in their defence to a legal claim from a damaged patient (claim successful!)

'Mr Simmons has been involved in a number of General Medical Council Fitness to Practice hearings.'
www.forensicandexpertwitness.co.uk/MrIanSimmons

According to his CV, he writes around 150 medical reports per year (in addition to full time nhs.uk employment), and regularly attends phone conferences/meetings with counsel (aka barrister).

Allowing for two weeks holiday, this equates to THREE reports per week, on top of his NHS work!

In 2020, understandably unable to provide me with his name at that time, the GMC sent me the bio for a medico-legal expert they had instructed to report on a complicated laser surgery case I was involved in.

Worryingly, it was similar to that of Ian Simmons, and I expressed my concerns to the GMC.

They eventually reassured me that it was not Ian Simmons, but in the interim I had written to him as follows...

'Sent: 08 July 2020 17:16
To: SIMMONS, Ian
Subject: Re expert reports
Hi Ian
To introduce myself, I am a patient advocate helping people damaged by refractive eye surgery, and advise a number of law firms who frequently ask me to recommend medical experts.
Your name has come to my attention, and I’d appreciate it if you would please therefore tell me:
1. Are you a refractive surgeon - as I can only find references to cataract surgery on your CV?
2. Able to provide reports for people damaged by laser and lens exchange procedures?
I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes
Sasha Rodoy | My Beautiful Eyes Foundation
Patient Advocate & Campaign Manager'

He replied...

'9 Jul 2020, at 08:59, SIMMONS, Ian wrote:

Good morning Sasha

I have been involved with the medicolegal aspects of refractive surgery but I am not a refractive surgeon myself.

BW
Ian
Ian Simmons
Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist and Ophthalmic Surgeon
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust...'

Still playing nice, I thanked him for his fast response, and asked him to detail the basis of his understanding of refractive surgery procedures that enabled him to accept instructions as an expert in this field, so that I could confidently recommend him to law firms representing MBEF clients (fingers crossed behind my back).

I also told him there was an urgent laser case in need of an experienced expert, and asked if he would be prepared to consider this.

He replied...

'10 Jul 2020, at 14:10, SIMMONS, Ian wrote:
​I think it is better for me to decline Sasha. Your clients will be served more appropriately by a specialist refractive surgeon.

BW
Ian Simmons
Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist and Ophthalmic Surgeon'
I responded...

'12 July 2020, at 18:42, SashaMBEF <sasha@mybeautifuleyes.co.uk> wrote:
Thank you Ian - correct answer!

Which begs the question, why did you not decline to act as medical expert in a number of GMC refractive surgery cases, most of these relating to Optical Express Px?

Forgive the subterfuge, but...

It is my opinion, shared by a number of highly renowned surgeons, that no ophthalmologist who is not a refractive surgeon should be selling themselves as such an expert.

As one [ophthalmologist] surgeon wrote after seeing your credentials, 'It is like asking a colorectal surgeon to comment on neurosurgery’.

I have copies of a number of your GMC reports, including three written in 2014 relating to Craig Mellor’s surgeons (laser and lens ops x 8 ), in which you exhibit a lack of understanding of the modus operandi employed by this corrupt industry, repeatedly claiming that the standard of care offered by all OE surgeons you reported on, 'did not fall seriously below that to be expected of a reasonably competent Consultant Ophthalmologist’.

Ouch! All surgeons responsible for Craig's ops went on to freely damage thousands more patients’ eyes, but had your reports said different, many of them might have been saved.*

I recently detailed serious concerns to CEO Charlie Massey about the GMC being not fit for purpose, including criticism of inappropriate experts such as yourself.

And having admitted that, ‘Your clients will be served more appropriately by a specialist refractive surgeon’, may I humbly suggest that you would be advised to refuse future requests to act as a medico-legal expert for refractive surgery cases, as you are far from qualified to do so.

Perhaps also consider rewording your bio, which claims your specialist area of expertise includes cataract surgery.
www.yourexpertwitness.co.uk/expert-witne...12215-mr-ian-simmons

Just as you have an ‘interest’ in cataract and corneal surgery (your Bupa page), I have an ‘interest’ in roses (I can at least prune them!), but would never claim to be a horticulturalist!

Best wishes
Sasha Rodoy | My Beautiful Eyes Foundation
Patient Advocate & Campaign Manager'

He didn't respond.

Meanwhile, who amongst you considers the General Medical Council (GMC) fit for purpose - or if in need of a serious shake up?

* www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/ind...p/true-stories/craig
#blindedonthehighstreet

And its not just me who thinks so, because I've spoken to many doctors, including GPs and nhs.uk consultants, one of whom told me he didn't know what he'd paid them for over so many years, as they'd done nothing for him

I know that you may find part of this, and the next post, somewhat cryptic, if not extremely frustrating, because whilst I'd like to shout it from the rooftops, I am unable to tell you more until early next summer - but I promise it will be very much worth the wait!

In May 2020 I sent an extremely detailed email to the General Medical Council (GMC) Chief Executive, Charlie Massey, addressing a number of issues I have with the organisation, its modus operandi, and the matter I can't yet discuss.

I also wrote: ‘I have seen many GMC decisions and reports following complaints against refractive surgeons, and I am unaware of any (Dr Muhammad Qureshi an exception) having gone to FtP hearing. Please tell me if I am mistaken?'

Charlie didn't have the courtesy to reply himself, instead he passed on my concerns to staff members, and in May, my above question was treated as a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

However, the main purpose of my email was to ensure that Charlie cannot deny knowledge of what's been going on when (sh)it hits the fan next year, and how the GMC are partly (if not wholly) culpable! This should have come out in 2020, but delayed for reasons not only Covid related.

16 June 2020, the GMC Information Access Officer was struggling: "I have checked our specialist register and we do not have a specialty of ‘refractive surgery’."

I was asked to provide key search terms and a timescale...

She came back to me on 8 July 2020: 'I have conducted a search across all allegations that have been heard before a medical practitioners’ tribunal between 1 January 2011 – 31 May 2020, where there was mention of ‘laser’ or ‘lasik’ or ‘lasek’ or ‘PRK’ or ‘RLE’ or ‘refractive’ or ‘lens’ in the allegation description, and this identified four doctors who had allegations linked to refractive surgery. Please note that this does include Dr Qureshi.’

I requested their names: 'I can confirm that Dr Muhammad Ali Qureshi (4155241) and Dr Srinivas Venkatachalapathy Goverdhan (5186084) are two of the doctors linked to the below numbers.

The other two doctors names have been withheld as we can only publish details in line with our disclosure policy. When a case progresses to a hearing, certain information may be made publicly available by the GMC, otherwise the information is treated as the confidential personal data of the doctor and other parties involved. I’ve given details of the exemption under the FOIA which applies below. For assistance, here is a link to our disclosure policy: www.gmc-uk.org/-/media/documents/DC4380-...-policy-36609763.pdf '

In fact Dr Goverdhan, suspended for 6 months, is NOT a refractive surgeon: dokumen.tips/documents/public-record-of-...pt-dr-goverdhan.html

That left three: I attended Qureshi’s lengthy FtP hearing at the MPTS in Manchester (scroll back to January 2019 for details), so who were the other two?

One I understand is a doctor who used to work at Optical Express (his story overdue), apparently for operating on a close family member (even though they all do it), and because the case was closed without sanctions, his details removed from public records.

The third surgeon’s case must have been similarly closed, but I have no idea who s/he is - and if anyone in the industry would care to tell me in confidence, you know where I am!

Besides one person in senior management, and some of the council members, it appears that GMC triage staff are not medical professionals, needing to rely on the report of a paid medicolegal ‘expert’ when considering complaints against doctors.

If then sent to case examiners, they also rely on the expert's report when making their decision whether or not to send a doctor to FtP.

I would have no argument with this - IF said ‘experts' actually understood the issues they’re reporting on!

According to the GMC’s own guidelines, an expert should make it clear if a particular issue falls outside their expertise.

Unfortunately however, in my humble opinion, some of these lucratively paid experts wrongly accept cases they should have declined, as I believe my next post will illustrate.

Fao UK victims

If you have complained to the General Medical Council at any time about the surgeon(s) responsible for damaging your eyes, but they refused to investigate/dismissed the case/took no action

OR

If you have had debilitating surgery within the last five years and not yet complained to the GMC, please contact: info@mybeautifuleyes.co.uk

It seems I was too generous excusing Bobby Qureshi’s absence from the MPTS hearing on Wednesday (read previous post)

I’d assumed that he was in Dubai - as I expect the tribunal members did too - so was shocked to hear that Dr Muhammad Qureshi had been spotted on Tuesday at The European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) Congress in Paris, presumably peddling his wares!

Notified soon after 2pm on Tuesday, Bobby could very comfortably have made it to Manchester in time for the hearing on Wednesday, with plenty of fast planes and trains from Paris to Manchester and/or London!

This was a deliberate snub, as I’m sure Bobby Q was in little doubt about his fate, with no intention of thanking the tribunal for striking him off the General Medical Council (GMC) register or talking to journalists (though none attended, with one texting me for info).

I was personally disappointed because, during a conversation over the MPTS coffee machine last week, Bobby had promised me a photo and short interview, when he also asked if I was aware of the jealousy and back stabbing amongst ophthalmic surgeons that he claims to have been a victim of for many years.

Indeed, after more than eight years talking to countless surgeons I am aware, not forgetting that I listened to Niall Patton, the GMC medical expert instructed in this case, wallow in his lucratively paid opportunity to bitch about a competitor for hours at a time - whilst telling a few porkies himself!

I have now published all 9 pages of the MPTS 'Determination On Sanction’ on OERML website forum: www.opticalexpressruinedmylife.co.uk/…/12541-gmc-ge…

21 September: Since posting the above YouTube link yesterday, video has been removed.
Good to know the industry paying attention
Let’s see how long this one lasts!

Newsflash re Dr Bobby Qureshi

Tribunal determination handed down a short while ago, erasure from the Medical Register (struck off)!



Because the MPTS gave short notice (yesterday afternoon) that the decision would be handed down this morning, Bobby was unable to get here (Manchester) in time, and Mr Davies conveyed his apologies to the Tribunal.

Yet again, other than the legal teams, I was the only person who attended the hearing this morning, with no journalists present.

I will update with further details in due course.

Mr Christopher Rose (not Mr Simon Jackson as expected) made submissions for the General Medical Council (GMC) this morning.*



To maintain public confidence in the profession, and due to Dr Qureshi's 'lack of insight and persistent dishonesty', he said that the only sanction proportionate in this case is one of erasure from the GMC register.

Bobby Qureshi was present, and will be again on Monday morning when Mr Russell Davies makes his submissions to the tribunal. After which the MPTS tribunal members will go back in camera to decide on sanctions, which will be handed down by the end of the week.

*I will add Mr Rose's submissions here next week

Meanwhile, as I've posted before, I find it unfair that Dr Qureshi's colleagues, including Saj Khan and Scott Robbie, are not sharing the punishment as they did the profits from the operations they similarly performed at the London Eye Hospital!

Decision handed down early this afternoon before the tribunal retired for the day

‘The MPTS tribunal has decided that Dr Qureshi’s fitness to practise is impaired by reason of misconduct. It will now consider whether it is necessary to impose a sanction on his registration.’











And as I noted throughout the hearing, so many of the proven allegations reflect exactly what OE are doing!

Mr Russell Davies (BQ’s counsel) apologised on his client’s behalf for Dr Qureshi’s absence today, but assured the tribunal that he will attend tomorrow morning when submissions in response to the impairment decision will be made by Mr Simon Jackson, counsel for the GMC.

On Monday morning Mr Davies will make submissions on behalf of his client.

Following this, the tribunal will presumably go back in camera to discuss the sanctions stage, which could see Bobby Q struck off and unable to practise as a doctor in the UK.

Of course there’s a slim chance he could be suspended for a period of time - in the same way the General Optical Council suspended Optical Express optometrist John Margetts in 2017, after he was filmed lying by an undercover BBC TV journalist in 2015. (Search ‘OERML l Sasha Rodoy’ YouTube videos for BBC West broadcast.)

To be cont’d...

Dr Muhammad Ali Qureshi MPTS update

Legal representatives for the GMC and Dr Qureshi made submissions to the tribunal on Monday, after which the panel went back in camera to consider their decision on impairment.

Unexpectedly, very late this afternoon, the tribunal asked both parties to be available from noon tomorrow, indicating the likelihood of the impairment decision being handed down tomorrow afternoon. (I will be there!)

Meanwhile, Bobby Qureshi's comments in this article are amusing to read given where he’s ended up!



'I own a very profitable organization that is still based on my original principles… Worst case scenario, it won’t work out, but you’ll learn so much in the process.'
theophthalmologist.com/subspecialties/wh...-believe-in-yourself