Lost case dentist's £80,000 bill

Dr Eddie Crouch said he was "hugely disappointed"

A Birmingham orthodontist faces a bill of £80,000 after losing his bid to prove the NHS did not properly consult the public over new dental contracts.

Dr Eddie Crouch, who runs a practice in Acock's Green, won the first stage of his case on Monday when the judge ruled the NHS could not sack him at will.

But Mr Justice Collins sided with South Primary Care Trust over the issue of public consultation.

He said dentists might consider "a whip round" to pay Dr Crouch's legal bill.

He said the British Dental Association (BDA) could help organise the aid, adding: "He has obviously achieved something of importance to them as well as to himself."

'Long waiting lists'

Dr Crouch had argued that patients were being let down by the new system of dentists' contracts and were entitled to be consulted.

He said those in need of treatment on the NHS could not afford private treatment and were going without because the new contracts had created long waiting lists.

He said: "Since the introduction of the contract I have gone from no waiting list to having 700 people on the list.

"As a result of inadequate funding I was unable to treat anyone new in the first year of the contract.

"No new patients could be taken off the waiting list."

'Huge disappointment'

The judge said both sides should pay their own costs, apart from the PCT being ordered to pay £1,500 to cover the cost of "unnecessary" paperwork he ruled had been generated by the case.

Dr Crouch said the outcome of the case was "a huge disappointment", adding: "I find it quite remarkable that I brought this case on behalf of my patients and it has ended up costing me an awful lot of money."

He said he had received about £45,000 from fellow dentists around the country, but this was to meet the PCT's legal costs if he lost, not his own.

He added: "I will have to approach those who have given me cheques and see if they will assist me with my own costs."

He said the BDA had earlier declined to help fund his legal action, but a spokesman for the body said it may now reconsider its decision.