http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/...llowed+to+carry+on+practising/article.do

http://www.globaldentalsources.com/info/news/news_view.asp?id=39933
globaldental sources

the first of these two links,is the London evening standard ,the most widely read London paper.


The word is spreading!!!!

Cookie,

First, I want to congratulate you for going through this very hard situation--it was very painful and you did a great thing...This court case alone brought a great deal of awareness to many people about the dangers of OC.

Correct me if I'm wrong--the judging panel was looking at the case not as if the Dentist contributed to Robins death but that if the the Dentist is a danger to the community. And after it was all said and done the panel decided that the Dentist is not a danger to future patients or the community. Because of the Dentists horrible negligence or ignorance on Robin; in-other-words, the Dentist HAD learned from his mistake. And obviously something like this would never happen again in his practice...as the panel sees it. Am I understanding this case correctly? If this is true, then obviously the court panel agrees with you that he is guilty in contributing to Robins death. Are there any other actions that you can take? Can you appeal? Does the UK have a civil court? Can you sue the Dentist directly? Here in the United States, Prosecutor's can loose a case in criminal court but then family members of the victim can win in civil court...A great example would be the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Long story short, O.J. won in the criminal court but lost 33 million dollars in the civil court.

I am very sorry for your loss. I understand your situation a little. My family Doctor blew off my concerns back in December 2007. Basically told me to stop using Listerine and spicy foods. Dentist said the same thing. Doctor was like you're never sick, you don't drink heavily, you don't smoke, you're too young...you don't fit the OC profile...it's not cancer. Even after I said, "Doc, I'm afraid I have cancer...my grandmother had tongue cancer." But, since she was 80 that doesn't matter, according to my Doctor. Then in May 2008 the tumor exploded in size. Now I'm sitting here with half a tongue and numbness from a neck dissection waiting for radiation to start. Am I mad at the Doctor(s)...YES, because I trusted their professionalism and expertise. My Aunt and Uncle want me to sue, my girlfriend wants me to sue...I'm not going to sue because I am more mad at myself for not getting a third, forth, or fifth opinion...I should have but did not do it. My mistake. I trusted their words..."Ray it's NOT cancer..." Now, since this has happened...I have found out that my grandmother had OC, her nephew's Albert and Tom had OC, and that her grandson, Raymond (me) has OC, three generations of the same family. Tom died from it, he was in his 40's. I'm sure if I knew all of this back in December and I had told the Doctor about my other relatives...it could have been different. My grandmother forgot to tell me...she's in her 90's...and no one else brought it up...not until I was diagnosed July 16, 2008. I feel positive my Doctor would not make this mistake again...on anyone. He has called me a few times and we talked about it. He's a good guy...been my Doctor since 1974.

What ever path you take...I hope you find closure soon. My thoughts and prayers are with you...good luck.

Ray thankyou for the thoughtful and well expressed message.
Your reading of the case is exactly right,and i have appealed the decision which is why the results havent been formally published.One of the main reasons i will not give this up is because the dentist signed a sworn statement saying that robs ulcer was healed when he saw him in October.In other words he lied to the lawyers.when he was found out in this lie,on the morning the hearing started,he changed his plea,and held his hand up to his guilt.But he still got off because they wernt prepared to accept that he should have referred robin in May,thus giving him a fighting chance of survival.I am even more incensed now i have discovered the back ground of the committee chairman(see earlier post)The duplicity of the man beggars all belief.
I have been advised by the lawyers that i can sue him if i want to,but i need to clear all this up and get a result we can all respect.

good luck with the treatment
liz

The findings of the committe have been published

fitness to practise hearings

Jeff
can you decifer the legalese please.I think i get the bottom line but i just dont understand how they an make such sweeping assumptions and observations.

thanks liz

Thanks to all of you have PM'd me and registered your comments in the many press releases.I have sent a letter containing my observations and concerns,to the General Dental Council,but i guess the case is now closed,and the matter must be put to rest.

This goes against every fiber of my being,but beating your head against a brick wall has never been a very productive activity,and there are no more roads open to continue.

Wednesday i am going to see a bereavement counsellor and see if i can channel the emotions i have used over the last 12 months,into accepting Robins death,and hopefully learning to come to terms with it.I can only pray that this case will prompt others who have suferred harm at the hands of inept professionals,to stand up for themselves the way Rob and i did.


hugs
liz

Liz,
Having had a similar experience I can relate to your (or should I say Robin's) pain. I too was not Dx'd properly or refered by my dentist even after I questioned him about the tumor. But for the grace of God I survived anyway even though it was quite advanced when I finally went to an ENT. I had been a patient with my dentist (recently retired) since he started in practice. Their office has only seen 3 patients with OC in the past 25 years (and they have a LOT of patients). I was very conflicted over how to handle it and decided to let it go. He wasn't responsible for my cancer and had a reasonable explanation for his failure to detect it.

I also have to take some responsibility because my own fear crippled me from getting a referal to an ENT sooner. I knew something was up and I stuck my head in a bucket of sand like the proverbial ostrich. I also went to an GP (twice) and he didn't refer me for quite some time as well.

From reading the report it sounds to me like you may have material for a strong civil liablity suit.

None of this will bring Robin back and may have consequences of setting your grief recovery back for some time, reliving the horrors of Robin's circumstances in court.

Robin was young and had many years of earning potential taken away from him (and you). This is the typical basis for civil liability claims in the US. The burden of proof is much less as well in a civil trial.

Only your heart knows for sure what path you must take.

Liz,
Whatever you choose to do or not do will not change the fact that by your persistence in airing the painful details of your ordeal you have brought awareness of this terrible OC to many around the world.
However the worldly courts decide, the Heavenly Court is surely ruling in your favor.

Wishing you peace of mind and heart,
Malka

Thanks Gary and Malka

I had a lengthy conversation with a medical negligence solicitor on friday.His opinion is not very encouraging.He says they will have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the dentists actions reduced Robins chances of survival by at least 50%,and as the committee judged that his misconduct didnt affect the outcome of Robs disease and he would have died anyway,although i have no idea how they can know that,this would be difficult to prove.

liz,

That really stinks as we all know that their findings may be wrong and that no one really has any way of being sure about the outcome with earlier treatment.

Jerry