A DISGRACED dentist struck off for putting patients through “unnecessary” pain last night had his bid to return to practise thrown out after it emerged he had tried to mislead the hearing.

Laurence Cawley

A DISGRACED dentist struck off for putting patients through “unnecessary” pain last night had his bid to return to practise thrown out after it emerged he had tried to mislead the hearing.

Robert Hossack, who worked as a dentist in Clare, near Sudbury, and Witham in Essex, shook his head in despair as the General Dental Council(GDC) told him he had not only failed to get back on the dentists register but was also barred indefinitely from making future requests to return to practise.

Last night Alan Seaborne, whose wife Rosemary was charged £14,000 for treatment and suffered pain at Mr Hossack's hands, said: “That is very good news. She will be extremely pleased.”

The hearing, held at the GDC's headquarters in London, heard how Mr Hossack, struck off in 2004 for serious professional misconduct, had given himself “A” grades on personal development records which he then submitted to the GDC's professional conduct committee.

Robin Heron, committee chairman, said: “By inserting self-awarded 'A' grades to personal development records which were submitted to the committee in support of your application for restoration (to the register) you gave, and intended to give, the impression that these grades had been awarded as a result of an assessment by the course leaders.

“The committee regrets to have to reach the conclusion that this was a deliberate attempt to deceive, which was exposed only when the council called the course leaders to explain what had really happened.”

Mr Heron also told how Mr Hossack had attended a course in May 2007 - as part of his efforts to develop and maintain his skills - and that some of his work there was “botched”.

“The committee is disappointed that, during a period of over three years away from clinical practise, you have neither evidenced nor demonstrated sufficient practical training,” Mr Heron said.

Mr Hossack was struck off in 2004 after he was found to have caused patients unnecessary pain, over charged for treatments and failed to perform work to the required standard.

After learning his bid had failed, the 53-year-old, who lives in Stoke by Clare, said: “I am sorry the committee has found against me in this way. I've endeavoured to work very hard.”

He added the committee's decision to bar future applications to be put him back on the register effectively meant his career as a dentist was over.