General Chat

After the tragic suicide of Jessica Starr in December 2018, I thought it timely to publish this sickening video, highlighting the disgusting attitude of 'doctors' towards their patients left with depression as a result of debilitating and irreparable damage caused by refractive eye surgery.



Membership of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) is open to ophthalmic surgeons worldwide, one of whom is David Teenan, and I'll have more news about him soon
www.opticalexpress.co.uk/about/surgeons/david-teenan

And this is Parag A. Majmudar, the Chicago based sicko ‘performing’ as Dr I.M.Suicidal at the ASCRS convention in April 2009, attended - and ‘entertainment' laughed at - by many UK ophthalmologists.
www.chicagocornea.com/our-docto…/parag-majmudar-m-d/

To be continued...

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One year ago today, my New Year’s post was confidently optimistic, stating that I had VERY good reason to believe that the scandal of the unregulated refractive surgery would be exposed in 2018



This expectation was based entirely on my trust in Met police officers, that they’d do their jobs properly, not only as they’d convinced me they would, but as they are paid to do - or perhaps I’ve watched too many fictional TV shows in which police actually do work to protect the public!

I would like to assure everyone reading this, that the ONLY reason I am not naming anyone (yet) is because I do not intend to risk opening my social media pages to attacks from the Met police, most certainly not for any other reason. However, I may later add names on my OERML website forum post.

I would like to assure everyone reading this, that the ONLY reason I am not naming anyone (yet) is because I do not intend to risk opening my social media pages to attacks from the Met police, most certainly not for any other reason. However, I may later add names here on the forum.

And I do promise that ALL names will be eventually given to the press and media, along with email correspondence and recordings I have of my meetings with senior police officers.

Meanwhile, I’ll tell you as much as I can...

This specifically concerns two Met officers, a DS and DCI, provided with information and evidence relating to incredibly serious allegations, that should have seen many people immediately questioned, and clinics shut down whilst internal records were examined by experts.

When I first made my complaint to the Met police in October 2017, they expressed excitement at the potential scale and seriousness of the matter, and those of us involved were assured that if necessary, due to its obvious complexity, they were prepared to pass the investigation over to an expert team who had access to more resources; the main witness asked if he would be happy to have his image used in the media and press to encourage others like him to come forward...

I was ecstatic!

This incredible scandal within a scandal was finally being taken seriously, and it’s eventual exposure, with sensational press and media coverage guaranteed, would publicise the extent of damage being caused by the refractive industry, and highlight the urgent need for UK government regulation.

Believe me, there is no way the government will be able to ignore this incredible story when it all comes out - and safe now to say that it will!

By February 2018, those of us involved realised that the Met police had no intention of pursuing the case, with the DS in charge of the investigation having admitted that he was out of his depth (albeit using different terminology).

I spoke with his DCI who was monitoring the farce, and told her that if I had to depend on the Met police to save my life I might as well pull the trigger myself!

In response to an email I sent, providing her team with more evidence, she responded by saying that if she thought I was interfering in an ongoing police investigation I would be in serious trouble.

ROTFLMAO - they hadn’t even interviewed the criminals in question!

But instead of responding with an acronym, I wrote, “You told Mr X [witness] what he wanted to hear, and in my opinion it was another blatant exercise in feather smoothing on your part - seemingly a senior Met officer's most valuable skill nowadays.

Nor do I accept that my actions, 'interfere with a police investigation’, because since 2013 - working with X’s damaged patient Mr Y and BBC journalist Ms Z - I have done everything within my power to collect as much information and evidence relating to X’s illegal activities, and until I see sign of a serious police investigation underway then I will continue to do so, regardless of your veiled threat.

In the same paragraph you say that you are ‘unfortunately’ unable to read the screenshots I attached, yet you don’t ask for more detail, or for a copy of the recorded phone call I had with X. In fact I succeeded in getting more info from X in ten minutes than one of your claimed ‘best investigators' has managed to do in three and a half months, excepting the extensive documentation/info I provided. (The same ‘investigator’ who, by his own admission, was unable to find the spelling of Toladex eye drops!)

Regardless of the fact that I am not the victim in this case, I am the complainant, and every single piece of info/evidence that you have a result of my endeavours, so your team’s reluctance to ask me, and Ms Z, for everything else we have is totally baffling.

When John McDonnell forwarded your email of 29 January, I realised that my meeting with you three days earlier was another feather stroking exercise: to satisfy the Shadow Chancellor who had asked you for an update, because until your meeting with me there was nothing to update!

You wrote [to John], ‘I hope that following our meeting Sasha realises that we are intent on achieving the best possible outcome for the victim in this case as we are for all our victims.’”

I should perhaps mention that when I first contacted the Met, John McDonnell also sent a letter to the Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, vouching for my credibility, and that of the BBC journalist.

Advised from day one that the BBC had possession of a covert video containing incriminating footage, by January the police had still not asked for it!

I knew that they were about to take advice from the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service), and I virtually begged the DCI to wait, knowing as well as she did, that at this point, with so little evidence to show, the CPS would throw the case out. But she ignored me, and they did.

Having already attempted suicide - sheer luck that he was found in time - the main witness was devastated!

His partner and I both made complaints to the IOPC and CPS, a complete waste of everyone’s time, and a story for another day.

So why the fireworks, I hear you ask...

Because months earlier, concerned that the Met were dragging their feet, I had formulated Plan B, which I immediately launched when we had confirmation that the CPS would not pursue the case.

Unable to publish details at this stage, only because by doing so I would jeopardise a successful outcome expected to bring justice for a lot of people, be assured ( as I certainly am) that the matter is now being investigated by three organisations, and in an unprecedented move they are sharing information.

This is a very serious matter, with dozens of people having conspired to commit major crimes - that the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, surgeons, and others, have known about for many years, all of whom have shockingly failed to speak out.

You will of course be asking why they haven’t done so.

Because bad enough that so many patients are being damaged by this unregulated surgery, but the additional story here is so shocking that it will cast a massive black shadow over the entire refractive industry, and that is why they’ve all kept quiet, to protect their cash cow.

Unfortunately for some, I have evidence that they’ve been party to illegal activities, their names on my (s)hit list, and I have copies of emails I’ve sent to a few over the years, begging them to speak out!

And again, all names will be published and provided to the press and media, although a number of surgeons are already nervously twitching, knowing that their GMC registration is at risk as a result of their involvement and/or silence.

Meanwhile, next year is 2020, and you can be sure that the industry are already planning their ad campaigns based on the date!

To counter this, by 2020 I am determined that My Beautiful Eyes Campaign, calling for regulation of the refractive industry, will succeed in its bid to be taken seriously by the UK government.

And I hope that similarly, governments worldwide will by then have gained 2020 vision to recognise the true horrors of this industry, not least due to the recent and globally publicised tragic suicide of Jessica Starr - and probably more importantly to governments, realise what it’s costing their country financially!

Happy new year ????

As gifts are excitedly exchanged tomorrow, too many people will receive an Optical Express gift voucher for eye surgery, given by well intentioned parents or partners.



It is so wrong for OE to sell gift vouchers to a third party for a medical procedure (NOT cosmetic!) without having examined the patient first - an issue I will take up with the GMC next year

Since launching My Beautiful Eyes Foundation in 2012, as a patient advocate I have spoken with so many people who actively encouraged their loved ones to undergo laser or lens surgery, often given as xmas or birthday presents, left ridden with guilt when they see the damage and pain suffered as a result.

I wonder how many people have gone ahead with surgery only because they didn’t want to offend the giver, in the same way one would express [sic] delight for the tenth pair of socks received from Auntie Joan (no offence to any Joans reading this!)

And as well as future damaged patients, I have no doubt that OERML website forum will attract a number of people asking for my help to get their money back from Optical Express for these gift vouchers in January.

I have no idea what T&Cs are provided with these vouchers, if any, but to anyone reading who wants their money refunded - ALL of it! - if when you contact OE and they tell you that you can’t have money back (after a hard sell trying to persuade you to change your mind), but as a goodwill gesture they will exchange for credit notes/vouchers for glasses/contact lenses, do contact me, because I guarantee that you can and will get your money back. NB: This applies to anyone who has paid a deposit and cancelled surgery.

OE’s T&Cs are not legal, checked and confirmed by a barrister a few years ago, hence why every single person who’s contacted me via this forum has had their deposit returned in full, plus the cost of the MCOL court fee - see Deposit Refund topic.

And if you’re told that they’ll be in touch within 28 WORKING days, also contact me! They took your money instantly and, just like Tesco when you returned something, can refund immediately.

So if you find yourself in this position, and OE refuse to refund your deposit, don’t waste time arguing with them, contact me for advice: sasha@opticaexpressruinedmylife.co.uk

Laser and lens eye surgery is a bit like Russian roulette, great fun unless you’re the unlucky one that gets the bullet - but with this industry, be in no doubt, there’s more than one bullet in the gun!

For those of you who celebrate xmas, have a great day tomorrow, while we keep in mind Jessica Starr, whose family and two young children have no reason to celebrate, entirely thanks to the devastating results of laser eye surgery!

www.opticalexpress.co.uk/laser-eye-surgery

Click on the 'Learn More About the Risks’ button and it takes you to a faqs page - with not a word about risks


www.opticalexpress.co.uk/laser-eye-surgery/faqs

On the 'laser-eye-surgery' page they claim '99% Achieve 20|20 vision*’ - one for the ASA methinks!

But the barely visible asterisk links to this caveat - that I could barely see, let alone read, without a magnifying glass...

'*In a study of 190,231 Optical Express patients with the most common prescriptions we treat, 99.2% achieved 20|20 vision or better following treatment.’

And the government continue to claim there’s no problem with this industry, that the GMC, RCOphth and CQC have it all in hand - ROTFLMAO!

I sincerely hope that anyone considering gifting refractive eye surgery to a loved one at xmas finds OERML before the intended recipient does in the new year!

The MHRA is another organisation not fit for purpose

'And there is so much secrecy that even surgeons implanting these devices do not always see the evidence upon which a device has been approved for its safety and effectiveness.

The British Standards Institution said it could not discuss the evidence for Nanostim due to "confidentiality requirements".

Even the UK's regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, says it is "bound by confidentiality when it comes to some of the actions that we've taken around individual devices".'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46318445

In 2015, following complaints about the Lentis Mplus X lens, from both ophthalmic surgeons and patients, the MHRA appointed Bernie Chang as one of their investigators.

Not only was Bernie Chang a panel member with the RCOphth's Refractive Surgery Standards Working Group in 2015, but at the time he also worked for Optegra, who - just like Optical Express - sold Mplus X lenses!

Conflict of interests methought!

As for, 'The UK's Royal College of Surgeons has called for "drastic regulatory changes"' - not for refractive surgery they haven't!

Hand in glove with the RCOphth, the RCS has been fully aware of what's going on within the refractive industry for years, but they ignore the scandal because most refractive surgeons are paid up RCS members!

Scrolling through countless screenshots saved on my desktop, I found this copy of an email I sent to David Moulsdale almost a year ago (18 November 2017).

Reasonable questions deserving answers I thought, and having given him time to respond (or not) I'd meanwhile forgotten all about it.



Of course he didn't reply - Optical Express and Optimax both respond to me through their solicitors when they aren’t able to ignore me!

But when I clicked on the link earlier I noticed that the text below the RCOphth logo no longer says, 'Optical Express Surgeons that are members of this body follow strict guidelines and standards for the practice of Ophthalmology.'

Because of course that would be an absolute lie, eh David

The text now simply says, ‘Many of our surgeons are members of the RCO.’



www.opticalexpress.co.uk/about/quality-and-governance

The Eye Laser Association (ELA) logo is still there, non-existent to all but Optical Express, perhaps via Platform 9 3/4?

Not forgetting the farcical IMAB, another acronym recognised only by Optical Express, with its members each paid for the use of their names.

Even Tweedles is a member, well fed from the OE trough as reward for unwavering devotion to the company and his leader, while his nose couldn’t get any browner if he spent six months in the Cayman Islands!

And under the Optical Confederation logo it says, 'Optical Express are members of the OC. Our clinicians and clinics follow the OC Multidisciplinary Standards for Refractive Surgery.’ *



It should seriously be asked of the OC members, including the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) and the Association of Optometrists (AOP), how they explain their support for the Optical Confederation, accepting standards unrecognised by the GMC, RCOphth, and - more importantly - the GOC!

Silly me, I tend to forget how easily so many people can shrug aside their morals, ethics, duty of care, etc, etc… when money is waved under their noses.

Shame on every one of them!

In fact, will someone please remind me next week to speak with the GOC and find out what they are doing about this!

* According to their responses to my SARs earlier this year, emails exchanged in 2017, their own online publications, and David Hewlett, the Optical Confederation and FODO are essentially the same entity (funded by Optical Express). However, creative editing has removed online evidence, e.g. www.fodo.com/resource-categories/refractive-surgery

Another visit to Moorfields Eye Hospital this afternoon, accompanying one of the many My Beautiful Eyes Foundation clients with corneal ectasia to his second NHS consultation.



Happily he was advised that he does not need corneal collagen cross-linking, as was previously suggested he might, but he has to return for a check up in six months time.

I was surprised when two NHS ophthalmologists I’d never spoken to before told me how much they support and admire my work. It was incredibly gratifying to hear this from corneal specialists - both wearing glasses btw!

One of these men told me not to stop what I'm doing - I assured him that I never would - and, pointing at my OERML sweatshirt, told me that he despises the company and what they’re doing to people!

I also picked up more shocking information about Julian Stevens from an optom, but want to speak with David Probert and Nick Strouthidis about this before sharing with you.

So while I’m on the subject of the NHS providing aftercare and treatment to patients damaged by private providers, how many of you have yet to contact your MP?

Those people who have actively supported me, by simply doing what I asked, have received a positive response from MPs.

Previously unaware of this scandal, one (conservative) MP was horrified by what his constituent told him, and he has now written to the health minister.

And two weeks ago, when one of my clients was told that he had to go on waiting list to meet with his (conservative) MP, I stepped in and called the constituency office. I told the caseworker that this was unacceptable, blah de blah…

As you know I don't give in, so the exhausted caseworker eventually assured me that my client’s name would be added to his MP’s list for the next surgery.

Advised today that it’s next Monday, and as I promised him I would, I will be going too!

On Friday, Greg Brady and his partner are also meeting with their MP, so what's your excuse?

Liking my posts and metaphorically patting me on the back is very sweet, but will not get the job done!

PLEASE PLEASE contact your MP!

Tell them face to face what’s going on, and ask them to support you by asking the health minister WHY there is no regulation of this corrupt industry, that is costing the country £zillions in NHS care and state benefits as a result!

And email me or post here when you’ve done this, so the MP's name can be added to my list for John McDonnell’s attention.

No MP on the list can then deny that they were fully informed - unlike us damaged patients

Yet another visit to Moorfields Eye Hospital this afternoon, where I met with CEO David Probert (right), and recently appointed Medical Director Nick Strouthidis.



We hadn't met before, but as both men wear glasses, that was an immediate ice breaker

Nick Strouthidis said he's quite myopic, and at 44 the wrong age for laser, so would be looking at MF lens, with which he said - and I quote - ‘there’s a significant risk’!

David Probert said he only wears reading glasses, and I advised he stick to them!

As well as discussing my concerns about Moorfields' private sector, some of which I mentioned in my previous post, they asked about My Beautiful Eyes Foundation, my work as a patient advocate, and the campaign for government regulation of the refractive surgery industry.

I explained how, over FIVE years, THREE health ministers have each postponed/cancelled scheduled meetings with me, reluctant to challenge this cowboy industry, so by avoiding me they can pretend all is well!

David Probert assured me that while they can't be politically involved, Moorfields unreservedly supports regulation.

That'll do for me!

I also explained that the NHS is providing aftercare to increasing numbers of patients damaged by private refractive surgery providers, at enormous cost, and that the government cannot continue to ignore this for much longer.

I explained that in some cases, local CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups) are refusing to fund NHS treatment for damaged patients, who then have nowhere else to turn to, unable to afford further private treatment.

At this point Nick Strouthidis reasonably suggested that surely the providers (OE et al) should be paying for the treatment...

I showed him an email from a man who contacted me very recently. He’d attended Optical Express for a post lasik check up, complaining of problems with his vision they sent him packing to Moorfields, where he was diagnosed with a detached retina - and operated on at cost to the NHS!

For the government to acknowledge the enormity of this problem, data for the numbers of private patients being treated on the NHS must be collated, and I asked David and Nick if Moorfields would consider doing this now, and lead the way for other NHS eye hospitals to follow suit.

They were entirely receptive to my suggestion, as I expect all NHS providers to be - not fair to expect the NHS to use their resources to clean up the mess caused by the private providers who continue to profit from doing so!

We discussed the colossal scale of such a task, and how it could be achieved. Not so simple I can assure you, because the patient numbers treated at Moorfields are astronomical!

But whilst they figure out the logistics of collecting historic data, they agreed that they will implement data collection of future patients who’ve been damaged by private providers.

Although I can’t cover all the details here, the meeting was productive, and I came away feeling confident that David and Nick will do what they said they would, and I look forward to further discussions with them in the near future.

OERML forum was out of action for a while due to security/maintenance issues, and I am updating with posts that were published on Facebook in the interim.

Posted 13 July:


Catch up - posted 20 August:
It's taken a while - 44 days to be exact - but you all know I'm not one to give up

So with help from Times reporter Andrew Ellson, and many emails to Twitter, explaining who wanted to silence me and why, tonight they 'unsuspended' my account @OERMLuk



When I asked Ian Plunkett at Twitter's Global Policy Communications why my account had been suspended (permanently), he told me, 'It was an error in enforcement based on a report and has been overturned by our teams based on appeal.'

And to the person who tried to silence me - the truth WILL out!