Bolton dentist placed under misconduct supervision after patient suffers 'significant harm'

Dr Zuber Bagasi, from Lostock, accepted a number of failings when treating a patient between January and August, 2014, at a General Dental Council (GDC) Professional Conduct Committee.

The committee in April recorded that Dr Bagasi, a clinical director of the Synergy Dental Clinics group, admitted he had failed to provide a patient with an adequate written patient plan or standard of care, did not address their concerns and kept an inadequate record of the treatment, including failing to record their consent to the treatment.

The hearing looked at the treatment of the patient, describe as 'Patient A', who was provided with implants, crowns and bridges.

A report of the hearing, which took place on April 25, stated that Dr Bagasi also failed to adequately prepare the implant site — damaging a bone — or install the implants and bridge.

It adds: "It is evident from your CV that, at the time you treated Patient A, you had the necessary qualifications and experience to carry out implants. Nevertheless, despite your level of experience, you failed to provide Patient A with an adequate standard of care.

"The committee acknowledges that you have frankly accepted your failings in Patient A’s case. You said that they should not have happened.

"The aggravating factors include that Patient A suffered significant harm, that the misconduct was sustained over a considerable period of time and you failed to obtain Patient A’s consent, which is one of the fundamental tenets of the profession. "

It noted that Dr Bagasi had 'made a self-referral following the allegations to the GDC which found "professional care in both communication and quality of work".

The committee concluded that the facts were serious enough to "amount to misconduct".

As a result, Dr Bagasi has conditions placed on his work for nine months, which include informing the GDC if he finds new employment or starts a working contract at a practice and regularly meeting with a workplace supervisor.

Dr Bagasi's specialism is dental implants and he introduced the well-known hair implantation technology for Synergy clients.

He won Blackpool Dentist of the Year and was Highly Commended in the Business Person of the Year category in the Bolton and Bury Business Awards.

He and the Synergy Dental Clinics group, based in Bolton, Bury, Blackpool, Preston and Ormskirk, have also been shortlisted several times in the British Dental Association’s regional awards and last year won Highly Commended Award for Best Team in the North West at the UK Dentistry Awards.

Recently, the GDC has come in for criticism from dental professionals who accuse it of a 'heavy-handed' approach to regulation.

Last year the BDA wrote to the chairman of the Commons Health Select Committee, Dr Sarah Wollaston MP, to make the case for an inquiry into the General Dental Council accusing it of operating a "flawed regulatory framework".

Dr Bagasi said he told the GDC it was misconduct in what was an isolated case and the hearings were an experience many dentists went through.

A member of the local dental committee and NHS team, he added that he would use his experience to support other dentists who may go through a similar experience in the future.