Case Studies for principle 1
The GDC received a complaint from a patient about a dentist's behaviour during her
son's appointment.
The patient complained that the dentist had lost his temper at the son having broken
his orthodontic appliance. She said the dentist accused her of lying about how the
appliance came to break, and that the dentist threw the broken appliance across
the surgery at her. She also said that the dentist regularly shouted at his dental
nurses during appointments.
The fitness to practise caseworker asked the patient to provide the dates of the
incidents she was reporting and details of what was said. The caseworker felt Mr
Thompson may have breached Standards, including the following:
- 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
- 1.2.3 You must treat patients with kindness and compassion
- 1.3.2 You must make sure you do not bring the profession into disrepute
- 6.1.2 You must treat colleagues fairly and with respect, in all situations and all
forms of interaction and communication. You must not bully harass, or unfairly discriminate
against them.
The case was referred to the Investigating Committee, who felt it should be referred
to the Professional Conduct Committee for consideration.
The Professional Conduct Committee determined that the dentist had behaved unacceptably
towards the patient, and dental nurses. They determined that his behaviour amounted
to misconduct, and issued a reprimand.