Dentist suspended following hygiene concerns
Posted: November 13, 2014
Posted in: Dental Negligence Medical Negligence
A Nottinghamshire dentist has been suspended after 22,000 dental patients had to be recalled for screenings following hygiene concerns. The hygiene concerns were raised following the death of Amy Duffield in August 2013, shortly after she received treatment from Desmond D’Mello. Following her death, NHS England discovered that Mr D’Mello failed to wash his hands and used the same instruments for different patients without sterilizing them in between appointments.
The scare has resulted in 22,000 patients being recalled, with more than four hundred people already having visited a health centre for blood-borne virus screenings. The patients are also being offered tests for HIV and hepatitis. Doug Black, the medical director for NHS England, described the incident as the “largest recall in NHS history”.
“It won’t bring Amy back”
A Care Quality Commission inspection was carried out in July 2013, which detected the possibility of cross-contamination at the practice. In November, however, inspectors returned to the practice and granted it a clean bill of health. Nottinghamshire Police are currently investigating Miss Duffield’s death.
Amy’s mother, Sharon Duffield, said: “We will of course be interested in the findings of the investigation, whatever the outcome, but it won’t bring Amy back.” Amy died of viral acute myocarditis after suffering palpitations in 2013, she died in hospital shortly after.
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