19/08/2014 BBC London News

That's all from us. Now, on BBC One, it's time

for the news where you are. programme. Concerns have been raised

over cut`price laser eye surgery deals being offered on the high

street. An investigation by the consumer group Which? Found

potential risks of the Prince Edwardure are often played down to

patients. And a leading London NHS expert has raised concerns that much

of the surgery is carried ott expert has raised concerns that much

of the surgery is carried ott by doctors who aren't eye specialists.

doctors who aren't eye spechalists. Three years ago Sasha underwent

laser eye surgery. It was meant Three years ago Sasha underwent

laser eye surgery. It was mdant to improve her vision. Instead, she

claims it has left her with many other problems. I get very painful

eyes. They're very dry and the dryness is not like people think,

oh, dry eyes, just use eye drops. Dryness, literally sometimes you

have to peel your eyelid off your eye. A report published this week by

the consumer group, Which? Found that one third of consultations

the consumer group, Which? Found that one third of consultathons are

poor quality. Potential complications weren't clearly

explained to patients and hhgh explained to patients and high

street providers came bottol, explained to patients and hhgh

street providers came bottol, with Optical Express failing to explain

to researchers. I'm very disappointed with the Which? Report.

A handful of patients doesn't reflect the high quality of care

that we routinely provide to patients. We want to make sure that

every patient we treat understands the risks of surgery. Sasha wasn't

treated by the company, but did have her surgery at another high street

provider. She started annen line campaign and through that found

others who had experienced problems after surgery. Last week, some of

them staged a protest outside the Optical Express clinic in Harley

Street. They want tougher regulations in the industry and

their concerns were brought up in Parliament earlier this year.

Voluntary mechanisims have failed. Secondly, all surgeons must be

qualified, certificate indicated and come pence assessed. While other

surgeons must be qualified doctors, they are not legally qualifhed

surgeons must be qualified doctors, they are not legally qualified to

they are not legally qualifhed to have special qualifications. A lot

of the time consultations aren't carried out by doctors. One expert

says that has to change. Patients are often seen by an optometrist and

not a doctor and they're tr`ined are often seen by an optometrist and

not a doctor and they're tr`ined to assess people, but then it's not the

same thing as proper continuity of care and I would like to sed higt

care and I would like to see higt industries sticking with

specialists, or people who `re trained to a high level. The Care

trained to a high level. Thd Care Quality Commission told us they'll

look into the findings in the report. Meanwhile, the Department of

Health say they're working with the Royal Royal College of Surgdons to

Royal Royal College of Surgeons to tighten standards and improve the

way patients are given information. Laser eye surgery isn't routinely

available on the NHS and Sasha, like thousands of others was tempted by a

cut`price deal. You certainly wouldn't buy a discount par`chute,

so you wouldn't buy discount laser eye surgery. I disagree. We take

great care to provide good care Laser eye surgery is generally a

very safe practice, but with all procedures there are risks. These

campaigners want future pathents to campaigners want future patients to

be made fully aware of them. Guns, drugs and cash have been sehzed

be made fully aware of them. Guns, drugs and cash have been seized in

be made fully aware of them. Guns, drugs and cash have been sehzed in a

series of raids ahead of this series of raids ahead of this

weekend's Notting Hill Khannal. 126 people were arrested in preemive

strikes by police aimed at keeping gang members away from the event.

gang members away from the dvent. Commuters using London Bridge can

expect disruption to their travel plans in the coming weeks. The

station, which is used by around 50,000 passengers each day will

partially close from this Friday. Network Rail said the closure is

necessary for a ?6 billion programme to improve travel in the south`east.

to improve travel in the sotth`east. From the air, you can see the scale

of the Thameslink programme, which promises to transform north and

south travel through London. London Bridge is at the centre of this

project. It's one of the country's project. It's one of the cotntry's

biggest stations. Upgrading it, whilst passengers continue to use

it, is certainly a challenge. You can see a lot of veleT going on,

including the roof of the ndw including the roof of the ndw

concourse, which when it is finished will be as big as Wembley statium,

but it's all going to come `t a will be as big as Wembley statium,

but it's all going to come at a cost but it's all going to come at a cost

to commuters as next week London Bridge will be partly closed for

nine days. From this Saturd`y, 3rd nine days. From this Saturday, 23rd

to 31st August, there's no First Capital Connect or Southern services

calling at London Bridge and there will be no direct train to cat wick

or Luton Airport. `` Gatwick or Luton Airport. 50,000 commuters are

going to be directly affected, but going to be directly affectdd, but

it's expected that the knock`on effect on other routes will also

affect 250,000 people. For what you pay sometimes you feel therd is

affect 250,000 people. For what you pay sometimes you feel there is a

pay sometimes you feel therd is a fair amount of inconvenience. It

fair amount of inconveniencd. It will serve the customer better. I'll

have to look for another route, will serve the customer better. I'll

have to look for another rotte, but nine days is a long time. We know

nine days is a long time. Wd know this is challenging work and it's

this is challenging work and it s challenging work for us and for

them. But please bear with ts, them. But please bear with ts,

because it will be worth it in the end. This station and the routes in

London Bridge are heavily congested. It's one of the most congested

routes in Europe. The passengers who use this station every day know

that, that's why they sit in carriages on delayed trains. What we

are doing is freeing up the capacity so that people can have relhable

journeys into London Bridge and into the stations. The overall project

will be completed in 2018, so there's still a way to go before

there's still a way to go bdfore passengers begin to see a bigger and

better London Bridge. That's it for now, but now the

weather. A bit of a shock actually when we start tomorrow. Chilly days.

Lighter winds now. Good, drx when we start tomorrow. Chilly days.

Lighter winds now. Good, dry sunny Lighter winds now. Good, drx sunny

weather, but chilly nights and Lighter winds now. Good, dry sunny

weather, but chilly nights and that starts tonight. As you can see, just

scraping into double figures in central London. That's a four out

central London. That's a fotr out there in some of the more rural

there in some of the more rtral spots. Tomorrow morning, chilly

spots. Tomorrow morning, chhlly start. Plenty of sun. Through the

afternoon, better chance of staying dry than the last couple of days.

Maybe the odd stray shower, but dry. 17 to 19 there. Below par for the

time of year. As we go through tomorrow, we'll do it all again

We'll be dry right the way through the evening. Couple of stray showers

the evening. Couple of strax showers as we go overnight into Thursday.

Once more with the light winds and temperatures dropping well down into

single figures. It will be a bit of single figures. It will be a bit of

a shock for the next couple of days when we step out of the door.

Through towards Thursday, a lot of dry and bright weather around. In

the outlook, as you'll see, we are looking at the risk of showdrs for

Friday though. Good evening. Autumn, August. It's

an easy slip of the tongue to make, but the two do seem mixed up at the

moment. Tomorrow morning, you could be forgiven for thinking it's

October, as you step out the door. It's going to be cold. Why so

chilly, well, because we are drawing the air down from the north and the

brisk breeze dies down. The showers disappear and the temperatures

tumble. Towns and cities nine or ten. In rural areas widely down to

four or five degrees and some places just two or three above freezing. A

cold start in the morning. Don't be fooled by the sun. It