Flatulent Shropshire dentist struck off for misconduct

A SHROPSHIRE DENTIST who broke wind around patients and staff at a county surgery has been struck off for misconduct.

Matthew Walton, 35, has been handed an interim ban until he is fully struck off the register. He found it "funny" to break wind next to colleagues when they were trying to eat their lunch, the General Dental Council heard.

Walton also went behind the dentist's chair to make V-signs while patients were being treated at the Green End Dental Practice in Green End, Whitchurch, between August, 2006 and December, 2007, the GDC found.

Now he has been struck off by a GDC panel at a hearing in London yesterday.

An interim ban preventing Walton from practising has been placed on the dentist for "public protection".

The GDC ruled Walton was frequently "abrupt and rude" towards patients at the surgery.

Giving evidence, staff said they were so repulsed by Walton's behaviour in the surgery they had to walk out.

He also offended patients by demanding to see their cash before starting work and said swear words as he belched, the hearing was told.

Walton was found guilty of a catalogue of inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour, including belching and breaking wind in front of patients and flicking V-signs behind their backs.

The committee had also found Walton was "routinely rude and sarcastic" towards his dental nurses, and repeatedly exposed one to radiation by failing to warn her that he was about to take x-rays while she was in the room.

Announcing the decision panel chairman Valerie Paterson said: "The many aspects of your behaviour towards staff at the practice made it difficult for them to work as a team with you, and this was contrary to the interests of your patients."

The committee also found Walton's patients had a justified perception of the dentist as "rude and uncaring".

Walton had denied many of the charges and claimed he had "inadvertent" outbreaks of wind – but admitted a colleague once had to get an air freshener out to mask the smell.

He claimed that his "juvenile" behaviour was caused by frustration at work.

By Tom Johannsen