Clinic ordered to withdraw pioneer claim

A laser eye clinic has been ordered to change its publicity by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after an ophthalmologist objected to the wording of its literature.

Ex-Boots Opticians clinical director of ophthalmology Professor Emanuel Rosen (pictured) argued against a leaflet produced by Manchester-based Viewpoint Eye Clinic.

The leaflet stated: 'Our highly qualified team of professionals is led by consultant ophthalmologist Deepak ChitkaraMr Chitkara pioneered the techniques of implantable contact lens and Intacs surgery in the UK.'

Professor Rosen objected because he said he was responsible for introducing those techniques to the UK, not Chitkara.

In his defence, Chitkara said he and Professor Rosen learned the techniques at the same time by observing other surgeons. He also said that he had not claimed to be the first surgeon in the UK to perform implantable contact lens and Intacs surgery, and pointed out that the Oxford English Dictionary defined a pioneer as someone who developed or helped something which was new.

Chitkara argued he had amended the claim to 'Chitkara helped pioneer the techniques of implantable contacts and Intacs surgery in the UK'. He also said that he and Professor Rosen were involved in a legal dispute which prevented him from accessing any of the clinical notes of patients he had treated since 1996.

An ASA spokesman said the amended claim still required substantiation. Chitkara was told to withdraw the claim until he could back it up.