A woman from Devon has received backing from the Dental Law Partnership and local MP Oliver Colvile after a £4,000 implant surgery went drastically wrong and left her without any teeth. Gabriela Andrews, 48, now faces a £15,000 bill to repair the damage and there is little chance of compensation after Dr Reichel, the private dentist who supplied the implants, was struck off and moved back to Poland.
The ‘Bridge the gap’ campaign calls for changes in the law to protect patients from dishonest dentists who are then struck off the medical register. Mr Colvile spoke to the press about Gabriela’s problems and even wrote to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, demanding action; ‘I’m horrified by what has happened to Gabriela and am very supportive of her case,’ he said, ‘We have got to try and close this legal loophole because people rightly expect when they go to the dentist, to be treated properly.’
The botched implant operation was carried out at Tamar Valley Dental Clinic in Kelly Bray; Darren Gardiner, spokesperson for the clinic said that Dr Reichel was self-employed and this meant any compensation would have to come from his insurers. Mr Gardiner pointed out that Gabriela’s case was just one reason for a change in medical laws in the UK, saying ‘We are sympathetic towards her plight and emphasise the real need for a change in law in this country regarding indemnity insurance.’