‘Impossible’ to guarantee D’Mello dentist case will not happen again, NHS warns

Video: Cllr John Clarke on what he makes of the outcome of the D’Mello case

An expert says it is ‘impossible’ to guarantee cases like the one which caused the biggest NHS patient recall in history will not happen again.

The NHS said it was ‘unusual’ but ‘impossible to completely mitigate the risk’ in a report about the case of former Daybrook dentist Desmond D’Mello.

Mr D’Mello was struck off by the General Dental Council after 55 allegations of malpractice at Daybrook Dental Practice were proven following a misconduct which concluded in August.

Mr D’Mello was secretly filmed not changing gloves between patients, failing to sterilise dental equipment properly and issuing antibiotics without checking for allergies.

Caroline Surgey, 43, who was D’Mello’s dental nurse, also admitted to 27 allegations.

She was allowed to continue to work as a dental nurse but had to accept conditions and be supervised.

After the report was presented today (Tuesday December 13) at the Joint City and County Health and Scrutiny Committee, committee member and Gedling Borough Council leader John Clarke said that he was ‘baffled’ by the decision to allow Ms Surgey to continue working.

He said: “It’s not personal as I don’t even know the nurse but what the reports says has occurred and what she turned a blind eye to was amazing.

“Anybody in a medical profession has a duty of care which should be honoured above all else.

“You can’t say that these cases will not ever happen again, I sincerely hope they don’t, but you can’t watch everything.”

As a result of the scandal, 22,000 Nottinghamshire patients had to be recalled in November 2014 with 4,500 of those tested for blood-borne viruses and five found to have hepatitis C, which can cause chronic liver disease, although it cannot be known exactly how they contracted the virus.

The practice is now under new ownership.

Dr Ken Deacon, of NHS England North Midlands, has concluded a report looking at what lessons could be learned by the NHS and other bodies.

It will be presented to the committee on Tuesday.

Dr Deacon wrote: “This was an unusual case, in that a practitioner was knowingly disregarding acceptable standards of practice and was aided in this endeavour by his dental nurse.

“It is impossible to completely mitigate the risk of such a case occurring again.

“Changes to the regulatory system including more clinically focused inspections, and changes to the protections for whistle-blowers and wider awareness do provide some mitigation.

“There are some theoretical ways in which greater scrutiny could be applied, but all would require changes to national legislation or contract terms.”

 

 

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