William Duff (dentist)
Encyclopedia
William John Duff is a Scottish
dentist
from Kilbarchan
in Renfrewshire
who was jailed for three years (reduced on appeal to two years) for fraud
and reckless endangerment in 2001.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1184499.stm)
Duff worked for a number of dental practices in West Central Scotland
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was the recipient of a number of complaints (initially dismissed by authorities) about unnecessary dental work carried out on patients. It was later revealed in disciplinary and court proceedings that he also exposed his patients to infection from diseases such as HIV
and Hepatitis C
due to his deliberate failure to follow standard sterilisation
and hygiene
procedures.
The issues surrounding the case were initially raised in the UK Parliament by Maria Fyfe
MP for the Maryhill
Constituency in Glasgow in series of debates in the British
House of Commons.(http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm199697/cmhansrd/vo961111/debtext/61111-34.htmhttp://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199697/cmhansrd/vo970228/text/70228w15.htm)
Duff was sentenced to three years imprisonment in February 2001 after pleading guilty to one charge of fraud, and one charge of reckless endangerment (15 Months for the first charge and 21 months for the second charge to run consecutively).
In June 2001 Duff appealed his sentence to the High Courts of the Justiciary in Scotland, although rejecting all the arguments put forward by his defense they agreed on a legal technicality that his sentence should be reduced to two years. The appellant judges did not disagree or dispute the findings of the original sentence.(http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/c158_01.html).
In 2006 it was revealed that Duff was now working as a senior manager within the IT department of Inverclyde Council responsible for contract negotiation and implementation. He left this position suddenly in August 2007.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
from Kilbarchan
Kilbarchan
Kilbarchan is a village and civil parish in central Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village's name means "cell of St. Barchan". It is known for its former weaving industry.- History :...
in Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas used for local government in Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Renfrewshire, the others being Inverclyde to the west and East Renfrewshire to the east...
who was jailed for three years (reduced on appeal to two years) for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and reckless endangerment in 2001.(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1184499.stm)
Duff worked for a number of dental practices in West Central Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was the recipient of a number of complaints (initially dismissed by authorities) about unnecessary dental work carried out on patients. It was later revealed in disciplinary and court proceedings that he also exposed his patients to infection from diseases such as HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
due to his deliberate failure to follow standard sterilisation
Sterilization (microbiology)
Sterilization is a term referring to any process that eliminates or kills all forms of microbial life, including transmissible agents present on a surface, contained in a fluid, in medication, or in a compound such as biological culture media...
and hygiene
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
procedures.
The issues surrounding the case were initially raised in the UK Parliament by Maria Fyfe
Maria Fyfe
Maria Fyfe is a politician in the United Kingdom and former Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill.-Early life:Born Maria O'Neill on 25 November 1938 to James O’Neill and Margaret Lacey, she became a member of the Labour Party in 1960. She came to education relatively later in life, studying...
MP for the Maryhill
Maryhill
Maryhill is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. The population of Maryhill is about 52,000. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road...
Constituency in Glasgow in series of debates in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
House of Commons.(http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/cm199697/cmhansrd/vo961111/debtext/61111-34.htmhttp://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199697/cmhansrd/vo970228/text/70228w15.htm)
Duff was sentenced to three years imprisonment in February 2001 after pleading guilty to one charge of fraud, and one charge of reckless endangerment (15 Months for the first charge and 21 months for the second charge to run consecutively).
In June 2001 Duff appealed his sentence to the High Courts of the Justiciary in Scotland, although rejecting all the arguments put forward by his defense they agreed on a legal technicality that his sentence should be reduced to two years. The appellant judges did not disagree or dispute the findings of the original sentence.(http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/c158_01.html).
In 2006 it was revealed that Duff was now working as a senior manager within the IT department of Inverclyde Council responsible for contract negotiation and implementation. He left this position suddenly in August 2007.
External links
- Dirty Needle Dentist Jailed at BBC News Online (published 22 February 2001)
- Dentists (Scotland) at House of Commons Hansard Debates for 11 Nov 1996 (part 34)
- Mr William Duff - at House Of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Feb 1997 (part 15)
- William Duff v. Her Majesty's Advocate, 20 June 2001, Lord McCluskey and Lord Prosser at Opinions of the High Court of the Justiciary (published 20 June 2001)