Case Studies for principle 1
The GDC received a complaint from the mother of a teenage patient.
She complained that during her son's appointment, the dentist said several things
which she and her son found offensive, including: that men were superior to women;
his views about the prevalence of homosexuality in particular cities; his views
about dentists' wages in the UK; and that the British government had begged him
to work in the UK. The patient's mother also alleged that the dentist had said "thank
you for the filling" in a sarcastic tone, when they left the appointment.
The complaint was assessed by the GDC Fitness to Practise department and was thought
to raise an allegation that the dentist's fitness to practise may be impaired. The
matter was referred to the Investigating Committee.
The Investigating Committee thought that Mr Jones’ behaviour as described may amount
to misconduct referred him to the Professional Conduct Committee.
The Professional Conduct Committee took the view that it was unacceptable for Mr
Jones to use sarcastic language to a patient and that Mr Jones knew or should have
known that his words were likely to cause offence to the patient. They confirmed
that his comments were inappropriate and also found that they had been made in a
raised tone which was unacceptable.
The Professional Conduct Committee found that Mr Jones had used words that he ought
to have known were likely to cause distress, and that the tone in which he spoke
to the patient was unacceptable.
The Committee decided to suspend his registration for a period of 12 months in order
to protect the public and to send a clear message that the behaviour he exhibited
was not acceptable and would not be tolerated in the dental profession.
The behaviour described in the patient’s initial complaint would breach the following
Standards:
- 1.2 You must treat every patient with dignity and respect at all times.
- 1.2.1 You should be aware of how your tone of voice and body language might be perceived.
- 1.3.2 You must make sure you do not bring the profession into disrepute.
- 1.6.4 You must not express your personal beliefs (including political, religious
or moral beliefs) to patients in any way that exploits their vulnerability or could
cause them distress.