Thousands of former patients of disgraced dentist take HIV blood tests

Thousands of former patients of disgraced dentist, Desmond D’Mello, have come forward to be tested for hepatitis and HIV.

Up to 22,000 former patients were urged to step forward after an investigation was launched following allegations of serious hygiene breaches.

It is claimed that Mr D’Mello did not was his hands or instruments between patients, and was even secretly filmed by concerned members of his staff at the Daybrook Practice in Arnold, where he worked for more than 32 years.

Details revealed by NHS England confirmed that in the first seven days alone after the announcement, almost 3,000 people stepped forward to take the test.

But with a career spanning four decades, there are still thousands of former patients who may be dotted around the country.

A spokesman for NHS England said: “The NHS has a duty of care to all patients and is therefore telling anyone who might be affected, to allow them to make an assessment of the potential risk to themselves and access testing if appropriate.”

Anyone who may have been treated by Me D’Mello should call 03330 142479.

Although Mr D’Mello was tested cleared of having any blood-borne illness, experts say there is a ‘small chance’ that patients could have contracted hepatitis B, C or HIV, if one or more patients under his care had any of the diseases.

Appalled by the standards, a member of staff secretly filmed him over a three-day period in June. He was immediately suspended by the General Medical Council.

NHS England recently told Chad that despite ‘several opportunities to formally respond’, Mr D’Mello was yet to co-operate.

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