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Clare Dentist faces charge of serious professional misconduct
A DENTIST facing a charge of serious professional misconduct ran up debts of almost £20,000 within a year, a disciplinary hearing has heard.
Robert Hossack, who has practices in Clare and Witham in Essex, was appearing before the, General Dental Council's professional conduct committee. He is accused of breaching the body's code of conduct on 13 occasions, but has denied all the charges.
Two businessmen told the hearing that Mr Hossack, of Layer Cottage, Stoke-by-Clare, had failed to pay substantial bills, with one claiming he was owed thousands of pounds within months of meeting the dentist.
Vincenzo Marino, who runs the Cambridge Dental Studio, claimed Mr Hossack had approached him with a job offer in May 1998. It was alleged Mr Hossack owed Mr Marino £6,000 just 12 weeks after contracting him to do the work, but the debt rose to £17.000 within a year.
The committee - which has already heard claims Mr Hossack built up debts with dental laboratories working for him - was told the dentist had made excuses and complained of shoddy work when Mr Marino requested payment.
Dental technician Mr Marino said Mr Hossack wanted him to make crowns and dentures, providing about £2,500 of business each month. But Mr Marino claimed there were problems with payments from the start, and told the committee: “I started working for him in May 1998 and invoices were sent to his practice. I not get any payment until October. From May to July, he owed me just under £6,000.”
“I phoned him two or three times, but he would just say that he was planning to come to Cambridge with the money. Then when I called him back a week or so later, he said he could not make it and would have to do it another time.”
The committee heard that, when Mr Hossack turned up in Cambridge in October, he started making excuses not to pay. “I was expecting Mr Hossack to sign a cheque and pay the invoices, but he started saying there were late deliveries and they were costing him time. Basically, he was trying to knock £2.000 off the bill,” said Mr Marino.
He added he had agreed to a £1,000 discount to keep Mr Hossack happy because he needed the work, but it was claimed the dentist again started to delay payments and owed Mr Marino £17,000 by April 1999.
“I was extremely busy during this period and I was working all I was working all the time, and I just let these bills accrue. When I got a moment, I called him to ask him to sort the invoices and it was just put off and put off and put off,” said Mr Marino.
Another laboratory owner told the committee of his frustration at Mr Hossack's refusal to pay for work. Joseph Tattershall said the dentist would sometimes kick up such a fuss; he would do the work for free.
He added: “I did work and expected to get paid for it. On numerous occasions I asked Mr Hossack why he had deducted fees from the invoice and he said the work was not good enough. The work would then come back to me and he would get them done for free.”
Mr Hossack is also accused of failing to pay back money to other companies in Bury St Edmunds and Clacton, claiming money for work carried out without prior approval, and failing to employ an appropriate level of skill when working on a patient.
The hearing continues.
Photograph: Press AssociationStory By: Patrick Lowman Email Link: patrick.lowman@ecng.co.uk
Date : 20-07-2001
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