“Whilst it is accepted that the public should have knowledge of concerns raised with…”

The coroner’s concerns

– Whilst it is accepted that the public should have knowledge of concerns raised with regards to a registered dental practitioner, my concern is regarding the level of detail placed on the GDC website in respect of those concerns, particularly when a case is at a stage where the proceedings have not been concluded and the issues not yet determined one way or another. In this case the report ran to 7 pages and set out in detail the allegations made under the 'background section' and then further detail of the allegations by way of documenting the submissions made by the Counsel acting on behalf of the GDC. Whilst I accept that the report states in its preamble that "It is not the role of the IOC to make findings of fact in relation to any charge" the report detailed significant allegations, (which Mr Lall contested) which were undetermined by the GDC at that time. The report was then made available to the public via the GDC website. Given that this was an interim order only, my concern is whether the the level of detail provided to the public at that stage of proceedings, was necessary or required. The family gave evidence at the inquest of Mr Lall that he was "an extremely private individual so the impact this had on his mental health was tremendous." By putting detailed allegations into the public domain via the GDC website, at a stage before any final determination has taken place, I am concerned that others going through a similar process may also suffer a detrimental effect to their mental health. Consequently, in my view, there exists a risk that future deaths will occur. 6. ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you,the General Dental Council, have the power to take such action. 7. YOUR RESPONSE You are under a duty to respond to this report within 56 days of the date of this report, namely by Wednesday 11th October 2023. I, the coroner, may extend the period.

An extract. Read the full report, including the circumstances of the death, on the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary website.

Source

judiciary.uk, Prevention of Future Deaths reports, 2023-0385

Added to Minute Book

8 Oct 2026

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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, judiciary.uk. Open Government Licence v3.0