Dentist struck off for dishonesty

The allegations heard by the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee are in connection with incidents that occurred between January 2009 and October 2010 when Jonathan Anyetei was practising as sole principal at the Dental Surgery, 15 Town Square Chambers, Stevenage.

The Committee found, among other things, that Mr Anyetei had:

• Failed to ensure that appropriate cross infection control standards were adequately complied with – for example clean and dirty areas in the surgery were not clearly defined.

• Failed to ensure that legal requirements relating to health and safety in the workplace were satisfied – for example The Fire Precautions (Work Place) Regulations 1997.

• Failed to ensure that dental nurse staff working in the practice were adequately protected against hepatitis.

In addition, on 30 July 2010, the Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust terminated Mr Anyetei’s General Dental Services Contract, under which he provided NHS dental services, but he continued to hold himself out to patients or potential patients as providing NHS dental services.  The Committee found that his conduct in that respect was dishonest, unprofessional and not in his patients’ best interests.

The Committee said: ‘Dishonesty is a serious matter in any person. In the case of a dentist, dishonesty is a betrayal of trust that sits at the heart of the dentist/patient relationship. The public and profession have the right to trust a dentist’s integrity. The public also rightfully expect a dentist to maintain a clean surgery with appropriate measures in place for sterilisation and to prevent cross infection. You placed staff and patients at totally unnecessary risk of serious harm. The Committee noted the seriousness of the charges proved, and was in no doubt that this constituted misconduct.

In the circumstances, the Committee determined that the only appropriate and proportionate sanction to maintain the standards of the dental profession and public confidence in it, was that of erasure.

Mr Anyetei’s registration was immediately suspended and unless he exercises his right of appeal, his name will be erased from the register 28 days from today.

More details can be found on the GDC’s website www.gdc-uk.org.

 

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