Tribunal reprimands, removes dentist from register

25 Feb 2016

A tribunal has reprimanded a dentist and removed his name from the register of practitioners.

A tribunal has reprimanded a dentist, removed his name from the register of practitioners and banned him from reapplying for registration for two years, over his treatment of six patients.

The Dental Board of Australia referred Mr Graham Raynes to the Health Professional Review Tribunal in the Northern Territory because of concerns he had failed to provide adequate care and treatment to patients at his practice at Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory and Newman, Western Australia.

The Board alleged that Mr Raynes failed to complete dental treatment that had been started and/or paid for in a timely manner, or at all.

The allegations included:

• Failing to make appropriate arrangements for timely treatment resulting in significant delay in receiving a permanent crown
• Failing to pay for and obtain permanent crowns that had been pre-paid for by two patients
• Loss of partial denture paid for by a patient
• Failing to obtain completed dentures paid for by a patient
• Failing to complete a final restoration after a root canal treatment and placing a temporary filling
• Failing to provide an adequate treatment plan
• Failing to provide adequate or timely receipts.
• Failing to produce patient records when requested to do so by the Board
• Failing to keep patient records safe and abandoning them at his clinic at Nhulunbuy
• Breaching of the Code of Conduct for Registered Health Practitioners

Mr Raynes did not acknowledge that he was aware of the proceedings, despite numerous letters sent to him on behalf of the Board at various addresses.

The Tribunal decided to proceed with the hearing in Mr Raynes’ absence, after deciding that he had been appropriately served with the relevant legal documents, been given reasonable opportunity to appear and had failed to do so.

The Tribunal found that Mr Raynes was guilty of unprofessional conduct for his dealings with each of the patients and that collectively, this amounted to professional misconduct.

The Tribunal reprimanded Mr Raynes, ordered his name to be removed from the register of practitioners and barred him from reapplying for registration as a dental practitioner for two years from the date of the Tribunal’s decision.

The decision is published on Austlii.