Both David Moulsdale and Optical Confederation have refused to answer my very reasonable question, ‘Did Optical Express fund the FODO Multidisciplinary Refractive Standards?’. (Read history)
Of course I know that they did, but it was only brought to my attention last night that Tweedles is in fact on FODO’s board of directors.
www.fodo.com/about/board-of-directors
To be clear, FODO’s standards are not recognised by the GMC, RCOphth, CQC, or GOC!
However, it’s surprising that Dr Dan Reinstein (London Vision Clinic) and Dr CT Pillai (Advanced Vision Care) were both prepared to align themselves with Optical Express and contribute to the FODO standards.
To be fair, after discussion with me earlier this year, CT Pillai did instruct FODO to remove his name from all their publications. They agreed to do so (I have copies of relevant correspondence) but have not done so.
I can only assume that both surgeons were paid for their contribution - but should Dan and CT want to deny this, in the interests of transparency I will publish their responses.
Regular OERML followers may recall that Alan Tinger (FODO board director) attended the public consultation for the RCOphth draft standards in 2016, claiming to be a member of the public who’d undergone refractive eye surgery.
During the meeting I asked him who he was, because of his aggression and rudeness towards MBE members when we were stating our reasons for dissatisfaction with the RCOphth draft standards.
He took copious notes, and was loudly dismissive of our concerns, trying to sidetrack the meeting with questions of no relevance to us damaged patients, which was what initially alerted me to the possibility that he was reporting back to either Optimax or OE.
His attitude to me was especially offensive, which didn’t make sense unless he was connected to the industry.
NB: In case Alan Tinger disputes anything I have written, the meeting was recorded, as was our brief one to one conversation outside the building.
At no time did he disclose his involvement with Optical Express, something I discovered when googling his name the following day.
I then contacted the RCOphth and complained that if MBE members were not allowed to attend industry consultations, then nor should they be allowed to attend our public consults.
I will be publishing correspondence concerning the FODO standards from the GMC, GOC, and RCOphth very soon.
I also have a xmas cracker that I’ve been saving for you - an email to me, and one of his damaged patients, from an OE surgeon.
He accuses me of misinforming the public and ‘challenges’ me to publish his emails.
Big mistake - I love a challenge
On 25 November he wrote,
‘I give you both a month to apologise and publish the retractions however I will reserve the right to initiate legal action at all times. I shall also send the contents of this communication to the Labour leader Jeremy Corbin [sic] and the Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell who need to know about your misdeeds against me.’
As he asks, I intend to publish my response on 25 December, exactly one month since his email.
Meanwhile, this troubled doctor presumably doesn’t realise that I have worked closely with John McDonnell since 2012, campaigning for regulation of this corrupt industry!
And so he had no need to contact either Jeremy Corbyn or John McDonnell with details of my ‘misdeeds’ against him, as I forwarded his email to the Shadow Chancellor immediately!