Personal Injury Solicitors

A dentist in Nottingham has been suspended pending an investigation into alleged failures in hygiene at his practice and the death of a female patient from an infection contracted after dental treatment at the surgery.

The Daily Mail reports that dentist Desmond D’Mello, 60, had worked in the Nottingham area for 32 years. Concerns about hygiene at his practice at the Daybrook Dental Surgery in Nottingham were raised after 23-year-old patient Amy Duffield died suddenly in August last year.

Ms Duffield developed heart palpitations and flu-like symptoms and died in hospital three days after developing symptoms. The cause of death at the time was given as viral acute myocarditis.

Ms Duffield had been treated at the surgery earlier in August 2013 and police have confirmed an investigation into any possible link – although currently there is no criminal investigation into Mr D’Mello regarding allegations from others that he breached infection control procedures.

A whistleblower filmed Mr D’Mello treating 166 patients over a three-day period in June – and alleges the dentist failed to adhere to hygiene protocols such as sterilising dental instruments and washing hands between treating patients.

Police have discounted any connection between Mr D’Mello and the death of a 29-year-old woman who also died last August after receiving treatment at the Daybrook Dental Surgery, however.

Police enquiries are being made into Ms Duffield’s death at the request of the coroner.

Health inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who inspected the surgery had found evidence of poor infection controls in place, however – including medical equipment stored in a staff lavatory, potentially posing “a risk of these items coming into contact with body fluids which may be contaminated”.

Around 22,000 patients at the Daybrook Dental Surgery are now undergoing tests for a range of blood-borne infections, including Hepatitis B and C and viral infections, including HIV.

It has been established that Mr D’Mello is not carrying any bacterial or viral infections and tests are being carried out as a precaution. Dental patients at Daybrook Dental Surgery are said to be at low risk for any infection.

Patients are queuing to be tested and will have to wait 14 days before being given their results.

The surgery is now under new ownership and the current owners have no links with Mr D’Mello said an NHS England spokesman.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – Dental Negligence Claims

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise those who have suffered injury as a result of dental negligence on how to make no win no fee Dental Negligence Claims, including claims relating to:

• Bridges
• Cosmetic dentistry negligence
• Crowns
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• Extractions
• Failure to diagnose tooth decay
• Failure to treat tooth decay
• Fillings
• Gum disease injuries
• Implants
• Jaw and tooth injury
• Oral cancers
• Orthodontics
• Root canal claims
• Poor hygiene
• Veneers
• Wisdom teeth
• Wrong dental treatment.

Duncan Lewis is a leading provider of Legal Aid services.

For expert legal advice on no win no fee Dental Negligence Claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.