FAO employees past & present

Is there any nationally available and recognised and independently endorsed protocol for suitability criteria which is independently verified and evidence based in the UK?

Do Optical Express publish any evidence to show their refractive optometrists on what grounds their suitability criteria are based?

Do OE administer all the training for new refractive optometrists in house?

Do refractive optometrists have any compulsory independent professional training to educate them of best practice in refractive surgery consultations and care?

Do senior development optometrists have any further professional qualifications in refractive surgery or training or experience outside of Optical Express?

myramc wrote: In one part, towards the end of my long journey with them, it states "possible management explant for mono in dominant eye have not discussed this with patient????"

They are talking about replacing your M+ lens with a monovision lens as the M+ is more likely to cause glare and sight issues than the mono which is more similar to normal cataract surgery

Huh ? wrote: Is it true that the criteria used by optoms to decide suitability of patients for surgery is defined by OE Head Office?

Yes by Stephen Hannan, senior ODM's and the IMAB

The IMAB meet once a year and are all paid for their time. The meeting normally runs for 4 days in an exotic location like Barbados.

This meeting is always attended by David Moulsdale even though he has no medical knowledge to voice an opinion

Huh ? wrote: Are surgeons and optoms encouraged to keep the patient uninformed of problems caused by surgeon error?

All post op issues go to the ODM (Senior optometrist) and if s/he can't advise passed to Stephen Hannan and Prof Jan Venter for solution. Optoms are told to down play DLK (Diffuse lamellar keratitisas) as minor dry eye

There is a script that as a optom/ refractive technician you adapt to your own style to deal with any issue

Px "I have dry eyes"

OE "Don't worry its a minor issue that can be cleared up with a course of drops”

I have often seen where a surgeon had no idea what the problem was, passed it off as minor issue only for the person to call the OE 24 hour helpline saying they are in hospital with severe pain

Most OE surgeons did not study ophthalmology as their doctorate, they only got into it as they saw the money that could be made - £2000 a day

I had RLE 2 years ago, haven't been able to see properly since, with terrible blurring, clouding, glare and dry eye.

Just yesterday I got my records sent from OE.

In one part, towards the end of my long journey with them, it states "possible management explant for mono in dominant eye have not discussed this with patient????"

What does this mean?

I paid €1800 for lens, and my insurer paid €5000. I know a lady who had same procedure as me within a week of me, who had no insurance and paid less than half this, is this normal practice for OE ?

Is it true that the criteria used by optoms to decide suitability of patients for surgery is defined by OE Head Office?

Are surgeons and optoms encouraged to keep the patient uninformed of problems caused by surgeon error?

fedup wrote: When records are lost/altered who would be doing this, Head office or lower down the chain.

Head office, to cover up mistakes that cause legal issues.

Store to protect themselves from HO

OE have the best IT system in optics and their IT dept can easily hide and destroy any evidence that might be harmful to the business

When records are lost/altered who would be doing this, Head office or lower down the chain.

It's great having these concerns verified by someone on the inside, many thanks indeed for this.

It really gets to me how they OE completely disregard a person's eyesight and quality of life for financial profit. It makes me sick, I could never knowingly do something like this to someone whether money is involved or not, that these people do it without a second thought is criminal in my opinion.

Dublin wrote: If a patient is not sure about surgery, how do oe convince them, i.e, by discount offer or other means, to go ahead with it ?

Be your best friend, offer discounts that are available, if money is a major issue drop down from wavefront to standard treatment - and if that's not working change the prescription to a lower prescription so price is cheaper. Then put it back to what it was before.

If you are under pressure and nervous you will go with the flow, whereas if you think about it over a period of time you would have doubts and that's why when you book they tell you to go home, don't think about it "we will take care of everything"

Get the booking by any means necessary

Hi and may I say, thanks for your honesty,

If a patient is not sure about surgery, how do oe convince them, i.e, by discount offer or other means, to go ahead with it ?