TOPIC:

admin wrote: This morning my postman told me that he’d watched Rip Off Britain on iPlayer, as I’d recommended, but asked why wasn’t I in it?

A question only the BBC can answer, and they won’t, not honestly that is

As he was walking away my postie sheepishly told me that by the way his brother-in-law is having eye surgery next month - at Optical Express!!

He said he didn't want to say anything to his brother-in-law because he didn't want to worry him! And holding his forefinger and thumb fractionally apart to indicate how small, he told me that there’s only a slight chance of problems.

Not quite speechless, but wanting to smash my head against the nearest wall in utter frustration and disbelief, I told him that’s not true…

But hey, my postie watched Rip Off Britain, so who am I to argue with Julia Somerville and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists!

He was already on his way down the road, with me barefoot on the pavement, so I couldn’t follow to continue the conversation. I called after him and said that at the very least to PLEASE tell his brother-in-law to look at OERML, and that I’d help him get his deposit back if necessary.

The obvious question is of course, if his brother-in-law goes ahead and suffers problems, what will my postie say to him?!

Yesterday I saw my postie, and no prizes for guessing what he told me



After surgery two weeks ago, not only does his brother-in-law have an infection in his eyes, but his distance and intermediate vision have also deteriorated!

Optical Express have of course told him, ’Give it time.’!

I heard on the radio that DVLA now want eye tests made compulsory every THREE years to be legal to drive!! Can you imagine all of us that have had surgery.. I doubt many, if ANY, would pass an eye test for driving!!!!

Hi does anyone know if there is anything that can be done to improve very poor night vision after lasik? OE didn’t want to know when I told them about it in the past. I don’t want to bother my GP with it but as I’m getting older it’s getting worse, it’s frightening having to drive at night

I haven’t yet published my critical analysis of the Rip Off Britain report (See BBC News & Press Topic) because I’ve been waiting for information to come back from various parties involved in the broadcast.

I hope to publish next week, not least because complaints to the BBC should be submitted within 30 working days, and I hope there’ll be plenty more besides mine!

This morning my postman told me that he’d watched Rip Off Britain on iPlayer, as I’d recommended, but asked why wasn’t I in it?

A question only the BBC can answer, and they won’t, not honestly that is

As he was walking away my postie sheepishly told me that by the way his brother-in-law is having eye surgery next month - at Optical Express!!

He said he didn't want to say anything to his brother-in-law because he didn't want to worry him! And holding his forefinger and thumb fractionally apart to indicate how small, he told me that there’s only a slight chance of problems.

Not quite speechless, but wanting to smash my head against the nearest wall in utter frustration and disbelief, I told him that’s not true…

But hey, my postie watched Rip Off Britain, so who am I to argue with Julia Somerville and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists!

He was already on his way down the road, with me barefoot on the pavement, so I couldn’t follow to continue the conversation. I called after him and said that at the very least to PLEASE tell his brother-in-law to look at OERML, and that I’d help him get his deposit back if necessary.

The obvious question is of course, if his brother-in-law goes ahead and suffers problems, what will my postie say to him?!

One week ago my optometrist told me that I must go to Moorfields A&E immediately, because he'd seen what he considered fresh bleeding on my scan and believed I'd had another occlusion.

I did so, and was happy to be told that my eye was in fact improving. And to be fair, when I looked at the Moorfields scan from August side by side with the recent one at A&E, it did appear that the blood had slightly dissipated.

I asked if it was therefore necessary for me to attend my next scheduled appt at the retinal clinic, and was told definitely yes.

That appt was yesterday, and after the usual tests and scans I was in absolute shock to be told that I have a macular (o)edema!
nei.nih.gov/health/macular-edema/fact_sheet

It should be noted that the A&E surgeon was not a retinal specialist, and without more extensive scans I don’t think he could have seen this.

I won’t bore you with the finer details, but this really is not good news

And the expression ‘I’d rather stick needles in my eyes’ is not one I ever want to hear again, because the first course of my treatment IS to have needles stuck in my eyes!

I am sure you will appreciate why I have a phobia of anything laser related, so even worse for me, if the injections are unsuccessful, guess what the next option is?!

Even accompanying a client to their medicolegal consultation a few months ago almost made me want to vomit, because the examination room adjoined the (not very clean) operating room, divided by a glass wall, with a laser machine at its centre!

Although there is no evidence that my occlusions and oedema can be directly attributed to laser eye surgery, the stress I now suffer most definitely is.

I was warned after my first occlusion in February to slow down and stay calm, and I have tried, but my heart starts to race and my blood pressure shoots sky high whenever I think about this corrupt industry and its many 1,000s of damaged patients - which is most of the time, so my anger is always close to the surface!

Then I think of Hazel Jones, who died less than three months ago, after a stroke caused by the stress and anxiety she suffered as a result of her surgery at Optical Express.

For that reason alone I have to try harder to stay calm, to continue my fight to expose the corruption that exists at the heart of this industry.

Time for the government to do the job they’re paid for, listen to their voters and and stop siding with corrupt businessmen, before it costs the UK countless more £££££££ in NHS costs and unemployment benefits!

admin wrote: "I don't endorse many products…”

Following my post on 14 September, I called Optical Express in Glasgow and spoke with Martha...

Positive that he had not, and interested to hear how they would explain the fact that he'd had surgery elsewhere, I asked if Hilary Jones had been treated by OE.

I was shocked when Martha confidently assured me that he had!

I called a second time and asked where I could find this information online.

Of course I recorded our conversations - but don’t blame Martha boys, she didn’t know it was me!

I wrote to Hilary again...

"Hi Hilary

Referring to the OE patient consent video - which features you extolling their virtues - in answer to my question, a representative told me that you’d had eye surgery at OE.

I can only assume that your previous ops with Dan Reinstein were subsequently unsuccessful, hence explaining the removal of your video as I questioned in my (as yet unanswered) email below. [see 14 September post]

The OE rep advised me to google your name to find details of your ‘experience’ with the company, but oddly I’m unable to find any such info online.

I’d therefore appreciate it if you would be kind enough to let me know the name of the OE surgeon who performed your surgery, and when it was performed.

In addition, can you also direct me to the relevant web page(s) detailing your experience with Optical Express.

I look forward to your earliest reply.

Best wishes
Sasha"

No reply

Then I discovered an article written by The Times journalist Andrew Gilligan, 'the subject of a legal complaint from Dr Hilary Jones'...

'ITV’s “Doctor Dishy” has been reported to the General Medical Council (GMC) over claims that he used television appearances to recommend treatments and products from companies he had worked with.

Dr Hilary Jones, health editor of Good Morning Britain and a qualified GP, has been a fixture on the breakfast TV sofa for 28 years, offering advice to viewers. In recent years he has endorsed at least 32 products or services alongside his ITV and medical work, ranging from hot tubs and relaxation CDs to medicines and controversial alternative therapies.

The Sunday Times has established that Jones, 63, has promoted several of these on ITV without making his connection clear to viewers. On the Lorraine show in August 2016 he mentioned a survey on medicinal teas by Tetley, with which he had worked.

In an appearance on ITV’s Daybreak in 2012, Jones recommended a service called YorkTest, which charges £250 to identify a person’s intolerance to certain foods, claiming it was the UK’s only “scientifically validated test” of its kind. He also appears in a video on the YorkTest homepage in which he describes it as an “accurate, laboratory-based test”.

YorkTest was reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Agency in 2007 over claims that the test was “clinically-validated”. Asked whether YorkTest paid Jones for his endorsements, a spokeswoman said: “In a manner of speaking.”

Allergy UK, the main charity in the field, said YorkTest’s method is not “based on sound scientific evidence”.

In 2011 Jones referred on ITV to “electronic cigarettes, like E-Lites . . . if people want to indulge in smoking, they can safely using electronic cigarettes. These are pretty healthy compared with [standard cigarettes].” He did not mention that he had taken part in a promotional event for E-Lites six months earlier.

Dr Iona Heath, former president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, has lodged a complaint about Jones with the GMC. “What he is doing seems to be desperately sad and wrong,” she said.

Dr Alex May, a scientific researcher, accused Jones of “abusing his position of trust . . . It undermines both his and ITV’s editorial integrity”.

Jones did not respond to a request for comment.

ITV declined to comment, but had earlier told May: “No doubt any medical products or services that Dr Hilary promotes he does because he personally believes they are suitable."’
www.thetimes.co.uk/…/dr-dishys-dose-of-hidden-plugs-9tkbjzg…

I did some further digging and discovered another endorsement that Andrew Gilligan may have missed - Hilary is also an ‘ambassador' for the National Federation of Funeral Directors!


nffd.co.uk/…/nffd-appoints-dr-hilary-jones-as-ambass…

As I’ve said before, I believe that Hilary Jones would promote Catnip as a cure for cancer if someone offered to pay him to do so!

And I wonder how much OE paid him to be their pet Judas lamb goat?!

In the same vein...

Following unsuccessful lasek surgery in 2008, Treacy Kiely underwent six more ops with OE's botched attempts to get it right!

And, like so many thousands of us worldwide, her eyes are worse than before surgery - beyond worse!!

And, like thousands more of their customers are recently discovering, Treacy was eventually denied her promised lifetime aftercare and left with only the NHS to turn to!

She is now a patient at Moorfields Eye Hospital - at significant cost to the NHS.

To continue his efforts to help Treacy, the Moorfields NHS consultant needs her extensive medical records from Optical Express, and you would - quite reasonably - expect these to be provided as a matter of course: not least because Treacy’s serious eye problems are entirely a result of the surgery she trustingly paid Optical Express to carry out in 2008.

But this is Optical Express we’re talking about, who have insisted that Treacy - or the NHS! - must pay £50 before they will provide copies of her records.

I would expect anyone unfamiliar with OE’s modus operandi to be shocked by this excerpt from Tweedles’ letter to Treacy, dated March 2017, but sadly I can assure you it's not unusual - plenty more just like it from the amazing Stephen Hannan!



How then can the Daily Express think it morally acceptable to glorify this conscienceless man in an advertorial for OE?

Shame on all journalists (and editors) who promote OE, because by publishing this kind of cr*p you are equally culpable for the damage this corrupt company continues to inflict on people, week in, week out!

Previous post cont'd...

Conversation 'censored' by Daily Express?


www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/8556...es-eye-test-symptoms

Two days ago Daily Express online published an interview with Stephen Hannan, who claimed that optometrists have remarkable diagnostic powers able to save your life!
www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/8556...es-eye-test-symptoms

Tweedles claims that he can diagnose the following:
•Brain Tumour
•Diabetes
•Heart disease
•Multiple Sclerosis
•High blood pressure

It has to be said that my own blood pressure must have shot up when I read the article!

Such a shame that OE surgeons - never mind the optoms - can't diagnose pre existing eye problems before they perform laser and lens replacement surgery!

I left my comment...



Let's see how long before it's removed!

I then contacted the Daily Express and spoke with Felicity Thistlethwaite, the online Lifestyle Editor.

I expressed [sic] my horror that they would publish this article, and asked if it was a paid advertorial.

She asked why, and I explained...

I told her that I have hundreds of letters from Tweedledum to my clients, stating that OE will not provide aftercare beyond 12 months post op (regardless of any problems caused by surgery, even a detached retina), recommending that they should go to the NHS for help!

Her voice turned chilly and she asked me to put my complaint in writing, that she would answer all my questions after she'd run it past their lawyers!

Talking of newspaper lawyers, I think it's time for the next instalment of NMMNG

The long awaited story of OE's settlement with Associated Newspapers Ltd (re Daily Mail) is a perfect example of why newspapers can't be trusted to publish truths!

Just like this industry, it's all about ££££££ for the press - the cost to people's lives irrelevant!

NB: If you leave a comment under the Express article, please post it here too - because chances are they'll remove negative comments and close the conversation!

Introducing Dr Hilary Jones, star of Optical Express' patient consent video

On 26 February 2017, I wrote to Hilary:

'I am very concerned to hear that you recently recorded the new 'informed consent video' for Optical Express. [replacing Dr Steven Schallhorn following his defection to Zeiss]

Firstly, is this ethical given that your surgery was performed by Reinstein?

Secondly, have you not read the many press reports about Optical Express, and countless horror stories on OERML website forum? All true and just the tip of the iceberg!

Are you aware that Optical Express now refuse aftercare to damaged patients after 12 months - not even providing badly needed eye drops?

Are you aware that it is costing the NHS £millions to provide aftercare and reparative operations (when possible) to many thousands of people damaged by Optical Express? As a practising GP (according to Wikipedia) surely this must be of concern to you.

You say on your website, "I’ve always believed people should discover and learn as much as they possibly can about themselves and about their conditions. But, it’s vital that the information is reliable and accurate".

Your informed consent video for OE most definitely does not provide reliable and accurate facts!'

There was more, but the doctor chose not to reply.

It should be noted that in previous years, when I'd challenged Hilary on other eye issues, he had always responded.

The next day I wrote to his manager, Kim Chapman:

'1. Does Hilary believe that he is behaving ethically by providing Optical Express with services that will help persuade people to undergo refractive eye surgery with this corrupt and unregulated company?

2. Given that he cannot now deny knowledge of the fact that many thousands of people have been damaged by Optical Express, and that there are hundreds of legal claims in progress against the company and the majority of their surgeons (others settled out of court), is he still prepared to allow them to use what is unarguably his seal of approval?'

Kim didn't reply either!

On 18 July 2017, I wrote:

'Hi Hilary

Re

I am concerned to hear you claim, "I don't endorse many products…” when it is patently and blatantly untrue.

That aside, would you recommend Optical Express should supply this product to their many thousands of patients left with DES, blepharitis, MGD, etc… ??

Also, did you have DES pre or post surgery, and do you still suffer?

Finally, why has your video advertising your surgery with LVC/Dan Reinstein been entirely removed from the internet?

I look forward to your earliest response.

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

No reply!

Tbc...