Published: Wednesday, 30th April, 2008 10:00
PATIENTS’ FEAR OVER 'HIV' DENTIST
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DENTIST: Reid
PATIENTS of a shamed former Clydebank dentist have been horrified to discover he may be HIV positive.
Allan Reid — who worked at the Davit Garrett and Associates surgery on Kilbowie Road until 2003 — has allegedly been treating patients despite knowing he had the deadly virus.
He is legally obliged to inform health chiefs about any illness but it has been claimed he failed to do so.
The 39-year-old has been working in a clinic in South London since leaving Clydebank under a cloud after seedy allegations about his private life were made public.
But some of his former Bankie patients are “terrified” about the possibility they may have been infected.
It is understood he also treated children.
One former Clydebank patient of Reid’s told the Post: “When I first found out about this I was in total shock.
“Then I was also angry because no one in Clydebank was officially notified about this health risk.
“They say it’s a minimal risk but we still deserved to know.
“And now I’m absolutely terrified because he was my dentist and was also my daughter’s from a very young age.
“It has left me thinking about how big a risk there could be because you don’t know how long he might have had the virus for.
“I was absolutely gob-smacked all those years ago when I found out about the initial revelations, but what someone does in their own time is up to them.
“However, this is different because there are kids, mothers and fathers involved here who could all be affected.
“We will have to get tested because I will need to put my own mind at ease.”
The allegations were revealed on Wednesday and if true Reid faces being struck off.
His bosses at Lewisham Primary Care Trust have been informed of the situation and immediately stopped him seeing patients.
This week NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) bosses moved to reassure Bankies that there is little risk that they will be infected.
A spokeswoman said: “NHS Public Health Protection officials are working in close collaboration with Health Protection Scotland and the Health Protection Agency in England to investigate if there are any risks to patients in Scotland.
“Past experience of similar incidents reassures us that it is likely that the risk to patients treated by this health care worker is extremely low.”
Shocked David Garrett, practice owner, at the Clydebank surgery where Reid once worked said: “I knew nothing about this until I was contacted by the health board last week.
“I’ve got the wellbeing of all patients at this practice to think of but I’ve been assured that there’s no significant risk to any of Mr Reid’s patients.”
Mr Garret said that if anyone has any concerns they should contact GGC health board on 0141 201 4444.
Reid initially left his Clydebank practice after it was revealed that he posed naked on the internet touting for gay sex with strangers under the name “pipe dentist”.
Under General Dental Council rules Reid is obliged to tell bosses about any ill health.
A spokesman said it was also the responsibility of an ill dentist to seek and act on medical advice, even if the advice was to quit.
Failure to do so would “almost certainly” lead to a charge of serious professional misconduct.
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Further Details
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