A dentist who charged a patient for thousands of pounds of treatment he never carried out has been allowed to fully practise again.
Julian Holmes, who most recently worked at Hailsham Dental Practice, was due to fit crowns on a patient but instead left the practice to go to South Africa without telling them.
The patient had already paid more than £6,000 but did not receive the crowns having agreed on the treatment plan.
He failed to refund the money the patient had paid and had also failed to pay the dental laboratory bill for the proposed work he had outlined while working in Wokingham in 2005.
He was found guilty of misconduct in 2006 by Fitness to Practise hearing committee from the General Dental Council.
The panel agreed to allow Mr Holmes to practise providing he abided by a strict set of guidelines, including weekly review meetings, not performing implants or orthodontics and only working as an associate or locum dentist in a practice with two or more dental surgeons.
Mr Holmes was called back to the panel in 2008 but he was unable to prove he had adhered to the instructions as he was still abroad and so the council postponed its judgement.
Postponed
The same thing happened again when he was called back in November 2010 and so the case was again postponed until November 9 this year.
In the meantime Mr Holmes had begun working as an associate at Hailsham Dental Practice in July 2011 where a fellow associate, Mr Redfern, became his clinical supervisor.
Mr Redfern gave a testimony to the panel hearing on November 9 along with representations from Mr Holmes’ legal adviser.
In its findings the committee said: “You have shown considerable insight and you have been proactive in complying with your undertakings.
“You have engaged fully with the process and the committee has seen nothing in the reports from your supervisors and mentors that might raise any cause for concern about your fitness to practise.
“The committee wished to commend you for the co-mmitment you have shown to your profession and the steps you have taken to remedy your practise.”
As such, the case was concluded and Mr Holmes is now allowed to practise without restrictions.
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