It is estimated that Eleni Kalamara treated 1,502 patients – including 392 children – in total.
Ms Kalamara, from Manchester, pleaded guilty at North Cheshire Magistrates’ Court to five charges of carrying out dentistry illegally, following a prosecution by the General Dental Council (GDC). The offences were committed while she was working at My Dentist, in North Fearnhead, Warrington. Although Ms Kalamara faced five charges in court on August 17, it is estimated that she treated 1,502 patients illegally, including 392 children, without registration or valid insurance between April 2015 and January 2016.
When passing the sentence, the chair said that they were “staggered” by the number of patients Ms Kalamara had treated whilst unregistered, and found it “unprofessional and unethical” that “she had dismissed her professional obligations”.
Ms Kalamara was not present at the hearing. She was fined £500 for each offence – £2,500 in total – and she was ordered to pay a £50 victim surcharge and the GDC’s full costs of £2,218.82. A collection order was made for the total amount of £4,768.82, which has to be paid within a year.
Ms Kalamara was previously a registered dentist. However, she was removed from the register of dental professionals in April 2015, because she did not meet the requirements of the continued professional development scheme. Despite numerous notifications and warnings sent by the GDC, Ms Kalamara failed to update her CPD records with the registrar. This is a requirement for all dentists and dental care professionals in the United Kingdom because it helps to keep dental professionals’ skills up-to-date.
Shaun Round, interim head of illegal practice at the General Dental Council, said, “The General Dental Council’s role is to protect patients and help to ensure the public has confidence in the services the dental profession provides and we do this by regulating the dental team. We also prosecute people who carry out dentistry illegally.
“Even though Ms Kalamara has previously trained, qualified and worked as a dentist, she was removed from the register of dental professionals for not completing her continued professional development – a statutory requirement for all dental professionals, which involves keeping your skills and knowledge up-to-date. Treating members of the public without demonstrating a commitment to the professional obligation to keep your knowledge and skills up-to-date – and also doing so without registration and insurance – puts them at an unacceptable level of risk.”