DT News - UK - Infection scare dentist taken off register

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 25 August 2016

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LONDON, UK: The General Dental Council (GDC) has struck off a Nottingham dentist responsible for the largest recall of patients in the history of the NHS from its register last week. Desmond D’Mello was removed for reasons of misconduct owing to 55 allegations of failure to maintain basic standards of infection control or prescribe antibiotics without a thorough assessment of patients’ needs.

As a result, more than 22,000 patients were offered a recall for blood tests owing to the risk of exposure to infection in 2014.

His actions were revealed by a whistle-blower, who recorded some of the failings on video. The filmings showed that he did not change his gloves or surgical mask and wiped his hands on his trousers instead of washing them, among other gravely hazardous practices.

In connection with D’Mello, the GDC also subjected one of his co-workers, a dental nurse who worked in the same practice, to conditional registration for a period of 12 months. She has admitted to 27 of the allegations, the council said.

“Mr D’Mello has abused the trust of his patients in exposing them to serious risk of harm and subjected those patients affected to an appalling and agonising ordeal as they undergo invasive blood-testing,” commented the chairperson of the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee, Gavin Scott, on the decision. “His behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with being a dental professional, and his behaviour is so damaging to public confidence in the dental profession.”

D’Mello did not attend any of the hearings or have legal representation. In a letter to the GDC last year, he applied for voluntary erasure from the GDC register.

He stated too that he had no intention of ever practising dentistry again.

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