We now know that Mr D’Mello had been stopped from practicing whilst investigations commenced in to evidence that was brought to light from a whistleblower indicating extreme and serious breaches of NHS infection control procedures. It seems that, perhaps for years now, D’Mello had been putting his patients lives and wellbeing at risk through reusing gloves, not washing his hands, and using unsterlised equipment.
Of the hundreds of clients we act for that have had their say about their experiences, we’ve heard from many who happened to have appointments in the June to October period, and we have been given an insight in to what people were told.
I suppose this blog may be a little more for anyone generally interested in the goings on at the time Mr Desmond D’Mello, dubbed by the media as the ‘Dirty Dentist’, mysteriously disappeared from the Daybrook Practice in June 2014 – but if you were one of those left in limbo, then you may want to read on as well, as there may be claims to be made for people who were unable to access treatment during the time he was gone.
Many were left confused when appointments were suddenly cancelled without explanation. No proper explanations were offered to patients, and staff were clearly not prepared to disclose the real reasons, if they knew of them.
We have had clients report that they were told a range of things, such as:
- He was on holiday / temporary leave
- He was having ‘personal issues’ which prevented him from coming to work
- He was suffering with a bad back – a fact that other clients have actually raised as something he used to complain about to them, making this one a believable story
- He had retired – just, rather suddenly…
For those told conflicting things in the first few weeks, news of his retirement became the more popular excuse given to patients who were waiting for treatment and appointments. At the time, many felt sad that he had retired, given how well liked and loved he was.
But then 22,000 patients were recalled for testing of serious blood-borne infections, which quickly turned any sympathy most had for him in to fear, disappointment, and anger.
Now, if you were one of the patients who were left in limbo when D’Mello vanished in June prior to the news of him being struck off, you may have a general claim for negligence if you have suffered unduly as a result. If you had to wait for treatment which caused prolonged pain, you can claim for this. If not getting access to the treatment you needed quickly enough resulted in further complications then we may be able to help you too.
Because so many were given reason to believe that he was returning, many decided to wait patiently for their much loved dentist to come back. Unfortunately, they had no idea that he would never be working as a dentist again – and those delays have been costly to some, and we can help them out.
Our specialist Daybrook Dental Negligence Team is the leading the way in the fight for justice for any former patient who wants to claim for what has happened. Give us a call on 0800 634 7575 and we’ll be happy to have a free and informal chat about your options on an entirely no obligation basis.
