DTUK13

Well, the good news is I’m back from a fantastic and very humbling expe- rience in Tanzania with Bridge2Aid. The bad news is, like the country at present, I feel a bit in limbo! The team that went to Buku- mbi – Andrew, Andy, Jackie, Cornelius, Julie, Nicola (all from Schülke UK), Len (Hen- ry Schein Minerva), Margaret (NHS Manchester), Mark, Jo (practice owners) and myself – spent a very intense and emo- tional two weeks renovating the community block and turning it from a dingy unsafe build- ing to a clean, vibrant and us- able space for all members of the community to enjoy. It has been hard to come back to the UK and to a life of comparative privilege and leave behind a community spirit that is strong in the face of poverty. All we ex- perienced in Tanzania will live long with us, and hopefully over the next few issues I will be able to share some of this experience with you. Big thanks to everyone who supported me, especially Smile- on, Practice Plan, Denplan, friends and family and an extra thank you to Mr Robert Naysmith for his support and kind words. It isn’t too late to support B2A’s work, go to www.justgiving. com/bukumbibound. As I slowly come round to all things dental, I hope you’re geared up for National Smile Month, which launched last week and runs to June 16. Please get in touch with your stories and events you have run in your practices – I’d love to hear about them. Email me at Lisa@dentalt- ribuneuk.com. And don’t forget to come over to Stand A12 at the BDA this week, say hello and celebrate with Smile- on and Dental Tribune as Smile-on turns 10 years old. DT Do you have an opinion or some- thing to say on any Dental Tribune UK article? Or would you like to write your own opinion for our guest comment page? If so don’t hesitate to write to: The Editor, Dental Tribune UK Ltd, 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19-21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1 8BA Or email: lisa@dentaltribuneuk.com Editorial comment Lives in limbo ‘ ‘ A dentist who defrauded a primary care trust of £85,000, has been sen- tenced to two years in jail. Daljit Singh Jabbal, of Li- versedge in West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to defrauding Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust (APCT) of £85,000 and paid back the full amount before he was sentenced. The 56-year-old took sick leave at various times between November 2006 and December 2007 and was still paid his full contract allowance by the PCT After discovering in 2008 that the NHS Dental Services Division were to carry out a routine check of his Units of Dental Activity, he confided to the chairman of his Local Dental Committee that he had submitted false UDA claims. In summing up the Judge told Jabbal: “It is sad that you have let yourself down so badly, but I consider the offending so serious, and over a two-and-a-half-year period, that I would be failing in my public duty not to give you an immediate custodial sentence.” The NHS Counter Fraud Serv- ice (NHS CFS) was established to tackle fraud and corruption throughout the NHS and Depart- ment of Health. In 2008-2009, the NHS CFS successfully prosecuted 69 crimi- nal cases with a 96 per cent suc- cess rate. DT Dentist fraud May 17-23, 20102 News United Kingdom Edition

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