Technology in practice p27 |
Fitness to Practise. NUI graduate is struck off by UK dental regulator after providing sub-standard care for 85-year-old care home resident
Struck off for failing care home patient
A Dorset-based dentist has been struck off the General Dental Coun- cil’s (GDC) register following a series of failures in his treatment of an elderly care home resident. National University of Ireland graduate Gerald Curtin, of Blandford Forum, failed to appear at the public hearing in London on 18 February and was found to have failed in his duties as a dental professional. Curtin, who practised dentistry under the company name Dentures@ Home, agreed to construct and fit new dentures for an 85-year-old woman who lives in a residential care home in Dorset. He took receipt of a cheque for £800 but cancelled the fitting appointment and failed to turn
Dentist death report still pending
INQUIRY
The definitive report into the death of dentist Savita Halappa- navar has been delayed with HSE sources saying it is “impossible to put a timeline” on when it will be officially published.
It was believed that the report’s publication was imminent after Health Minister Dr James Reilly said that he expected to receive a copy of the investigation by the end of February. However, after the Dublin Evening Herald revealed details of the leaked report earlier in the month, it is now understood that the report’s publication is still some way off.
A spokesman for the HSE told
the Evening Herald: “The investi- gation team continues its work to deliver a comprehensive report. “The team is carrying out this work as expeditiously as possible while also complying with natural justice and due process require- ments.”
Savita was 17 weeks preg- nant when she was admitted to hospital In Galway on 21 October 2012. She was told that she was miscarrying and, despite asking for a termination, she was told it was not possible as the foetus still had a heartbeat.
up for the rescheduled appointment a week later.
When the patient tried to make contact she found the telephone lines were unobtainable and she subsequently received a letter from The Insolvency Service stating that Mr Curtin was the subject of a bank- ruptcy order and she was a creditor. The Professional Conduct Committee hearing outlined the various attempts the GDC had made to contact Curtin by post and email. The committee highlighted that the only correspondence they had received was a letter from Dental Protection stating they were no longer instructed to act for him and that he did not wish to take
“Mr Curtin has dem- onstrated serious attitudinal failings in his approach”
an active part in proceedings and would not be attending the hearing. In his determination, the chairman of the PCC said: “Mr Curtin has demonstrated serious attitudinal failings in his approach to preserving the rights and dignity of this patient. Mr Curtin’s attitude towards the patient did not demonstrate him to be caring or responsible. This behaviour is fundamentally incom- patible with registration as a dental professional.
“Having considered all possible sanctions, the committee concluded that, in the particular circumstances of this case, the only adequate, appropriate and proportionate sanction is erasure.”
Swedish honour for retired Dublin dean
AWARD
Former dean of Dublin Dental School and Hospital, Professor John Clarkson, has been conferred with an honorary doctorate from Malmo University in Sweden.
The doctorate, which was presented at a special ceremony at the concert hall in Malmo, was given “In recognition of his international reputation, and of all the work done within the profession over recent years and also for establishing links between Trinity College and the University of Malmo and their dental schools”.
Prof Clarkson, who retired as Dublin dean in 2005, is a former president of the International Association for Dental Research and his career has been focused in the areas of public health, epide- miology, and research into preventive dentistry, in particular research on fluorides.
Ireland’s Dental magazine 7
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