Buying legitimate dental equipment is vital for the protection of patients, says the General Dental Council

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Kevin Dent was instructed by the General Dental Council ('GDC') in the recent case of the GDC v Sheikh.  Following the recent ruling, the GDC has issued guidance on the importance of dentists using and buying safe and legitimate equipment in order to protect patients.

Mr Sheikh is a dentist who was referred to the GDC following an investigation by the MHRA in respect of counterfeit and non-compliant dental equipment used by the defendant at his dental practice. 
 
The registrant was found to have used counterfeit dental equipment in respect of a dental handpiece. He was also found to have purchased non-compliant dental equipment, namely handpieces, through eBay.
 
The MHRA inspected the registrant's practice in January 2015 and seized various items including non-compliant dental equipment. 
 
Following this, in February 2015, the registrant purchased further non-compliant handpieces from eBay despite warnings from MHRA not to do so. The registrant was found to have acted dishonestly when making these further purchases in February 2015. 
 
The MHRA again inspected the surgery in July 2015 and R was found to have failed to co-operate with the MHRAs investigation on that date.
 
The registrant admitted that these purchases put patient and staff potentially at risk. There was no evidence that patients or staff had actually been harmed.
 
The registrant was suspended for 3 months without a review.

 

Jonathan Green, Director of Fitness to Practise at the General Dental Council, said:

“This case shows the importance of Dentists and DCPs adhering to the standards around compliant dental equipment. Non-compliant equipment endangers the health of both the patient and those using it and it is vital that all items meet safety requirements.

“As set out in our Standards for Dental Professionals, all members of the dental team must understand and follow the law and regulations in this important area, which go to the heart of patient protection. They must always put patients’ interests first.”

Kevin has built up a wealth of experience over 20 years in fraud and serious crime, and is often instructed as leading counsel. The core of Kevin’s practice is fraud, revenue evasion, money laundering, and healthcare frauds.  Kevin is often instructed in multi-million pound fraud cases involving large volumes of complex material calling upon Kevin’s keen eye for detail. 

Kevin is often instructed in matters relation to regulatory and professional discipline proceedings, particularly in relation to cases concerning medical professionals.

Kevin Dent K.C.

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