Whitchurch dentist was 'begged to stop breaking wind'

A dentist who allegedly broke wind in front of patients was begged to stop by colleagues as it was making his former Shropshire surgery smell so bad, a hearing was told.

Matthew Walton, who is charged with misconduct, "found it funny" to break wind next to colleagues when they were trying to eat their lunch, a member of staff told the General Dental Council yesterday.

Dental nurse Carol Stokes said Walton's behaviour created an overpowering smell at the Green End Dental Practice in Whitchurch.

She said: "I just asked him to stop doing it. It was annoying. I didn't like the smell around the practice, it made us feel sick. He found it funny."

The claims emerged on day two of Walton's hearing in London. The GDC heard Walton allegedly swore in front of staff and patients and had "no respect" for elderly, disabled or ethnic minority patients.

Mrs Stokes said she had been Walton's nurse on about 10 to 15 occasions.

"I encountered him belching followed by swear words and he was just generally not very friendly towards patients," said the nurse, who was one of a group of staff who sent a letter to Shropshire PCT complaining about Walton in 2007.

Walton has admitted belching and breaking wind in front of staff, but denied it happened "regularly" or that he did it during appointments or in front of patients.

He admitted swearing in front of staff, but denied doing so in front of patients. He also denied speaking and behaving in a "rude and abrupt manner" to patients, asking to see their money or making offensive comments about patients' age, employment, ethnic origin or disabilities.

The hearing continues.