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Dentist kept HIV-positive status a secret
Ellen Widdup, Evening Standard23.04.08
Thousands of patients are undergoing medical tests after their NHS dentist was revealed to be HIV positive.
Allan Reid was legally obliged to tell his bosses of his illness under General Dental Council rules.
But the 39-year-old failed to do so and continued to treat people at a dental clinic in South London.
Lewisham Primary Care Trust has launched an investigation into his actions and is calling for his patients to come forward for blood screening.
The PCT said it had taken "urgent and immediate action" after discovering that NHS and private patients at the Maxident practice in Catford had been put at risk. The PCT's director of public health, Dr Chris Watts, said: "This healthcare professional is no longer seeing patients and we have set up a helpline for patients who may have concerns. We are taking these allegations extremely seriously."
Mr Reid, of Sevenoaks, worked as a family dentist in Glasgow until 2003 when he was exposed by a newspaper as posing on a gay sex website.
He then moved to south London but failed to inform his bosses he had HIV.
His failure to do so could lead to a charge of serious professional misconduct.
The helpline number for patients who have been treated by Mr Reid is 020 8676 3289.
Reader views (2)
I don't really think it's a big deal for not disclosing HIV status. He was not having sex with the patients, nor did he draw his own blood and put it in his patients.
- Wayne, Australia
I think the system is extremely weak. Are such practitioners not screened? Even if he's not screened on a regular basis, was he not screened when applying for the position? The Government have a lot of work to do. What if someone has been infected? How do you compensate them? When he was exposed, why has it taken so long to find out, especially through newspaper articles? If not for today's local paper 30/04/08, I would not have been aware. Such vital bits of information should not be forgotten to be mentioned. I'm just absolutely worried for both him and us the public. Still trying to come to terms with how you make your children your grandchildren and then this happens. What's the point of him stopping work? If he's done damage already, it can no longer be rectified! Please, someone tell me this is a late April fools joke.
- Ms E E**, Catford, London
