In March 2007, things started going downhill rapidly. Though difficult to narrate succinctly, I remember it all too clearly.
I was accused of racism, unhygienic practice and intimidating elderly patients, amongst other things. In direct contravention of guidelines from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, my employer did not inform me of several of these allegations, and indeed they never have been put to my face. My employer informed the Primary Care Trust (PCT) that I was discriminating against my patients based on their skin colour. What caused him to do this I do not know to this day. Indeed in the same email he wrote that this behaviour was 'very strange' that I 'had no need to do it' and that it was 'not in keeping' with the person (me) he knew. Apparently it never crossed his mind to check for corroboration of any of these allegations, nor to doubt their veracity for one minute.
A disciplinary meeting was called, at which I was unable to speak due to the presence of another dentist from the practice who lost his temper. I was issued with a disciplinary warning, which contained no reason for its issue.
When I look back now, I would like to ask Mr Holgate - with all these outlandish allegations absent of any corroboration at all, doctored evidence, relatives of staff complaining etc and your own stated view that this behaviour seemed unlike me, did it not at any point cross your mind that there may be an alternative explanation for why you were being told these things? Particularly, in view of the fact that there had been an incident of group bullying in your practice previously, did it not cross your mind that something similar was occurring?
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