Sheffield dentist accused of punching patient in the face

Professor Ninian Peckitt has been removed from the General Dental Council’s (GDC) list of registered dental professionals following the decision of the General Medical Council (GMC).

The GMC’s Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) heard allegations that Professor Peckitt punched a patient in the face in a manner unacceptable as medical treatment.

He also allegedly left an outpatient clinic early – without reasonable explanation or appropriate arrangements for a patient handover – and did not give an explanation or an apology to patients.

The tribunal, held on January 21-22, also found Mr Peckitt, of Elmore Road, Sheffield, made misleading and dishonest statements about the GDC to the GMC.

The committee said: “The findings of the MPTS are so serious that it would be incompatible to allow Professor Peckitt to remain on the GDC register. He sustained and premeditated dishonesty was so serious that nothing short of erasure would be appropriate.”

“The findings in this case of dishonest conduct, and disregard for the authority of his profession, is behaviour related to character and is difficult to remedy and hence the committee cannot be satisfied that the risk of repetition is highly unlikely.

“The committee is in no doubt that Professor Peckitt’s persistent dishonesty was wholly unacceptable and seriously damaging to the reputation of the profession and to the public’s confidence in the dental profession.”

Professor Peckitt, who was an oral and maxillofacial surgeon worked at Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, but was also registered with the GDC as a dentist, did not attend the hearing, nor was he legally represented.

Written representations were made by him to the committee.

The MPTS erased Professor Peckitt from GMC’s register in April 2015.