AN award-winning dentist who was under ‘chronic stress’ has apologised over the way he handled a complaint from a patient.

Shabirakhter Patel was suspended last year for 12 months after he was found at a public hearing to have sent letters which were ‘aggressive’ in response to a patient’s concerns about her treatment.

But that suspension period has now finished, with Mr Patel, who set up Magicsmiles Dental Studios in Cherry Tree, Blackburn, saying he was ‘sorry.’ The practice is no longer operating.

He has also gone on a stress awareness course to guard against repetition of his misconduct, according to documents released by the General Dental Council (GDC).

Revoking his suspension at a recent Professional Conduct Committee review hearing, the GDC said: “Your statement demonstrated that you accept complete responsibility for your actions and the distress you caused to one of your patients.

“You accepted that you had lost sight of the need to adhere to the GDC standards due to your being a sole practitioner and working in isolation for a prolonged period of time.

“The committee noted that you have reflected on your role as a sole practitioner and you accept that it was more than you could manage.

“You identified chronic stress as a contributing factor and have undertaken a stress awareness course to guard against repetition of your misconduct.

“You have developed a coping technique known as the ‘balcony technique’ to ensure that you do not respond aggressively or irrationally to patients.”

The GDC added: “The committee determined that your fitness to practise is currently not impaired.”

Mr Patel had been suspended after the GDC found he had sent invoices which included charges for the ‘processing of information’ and ‘professional correspondence’ in relation to concerns raised by a patient.

GDC documents said the letters included ‘wholly inappropriate comments and charges for very significant amounts of money, that were clearly threatening and inappropriate’.

Other failings Patel was found guilty of included the failure to investigate ‘adequately’ the cause of pain complained of by a patient or adequately record the extent of the investigations that were carried out.

One the same day December 10, 2014, Patel was also found to have failed to take an X-ray of the patient’s upper left jaw.

Magicsmiles had become the town’s first award-winning surgery, clinching the Best Practice in the North West title at the 2011 Dentistry Awards, after two top-10 finishes in the Private Dentistry Awards.

Mr Patel, a dentist of more than 20 years, set up private clinic Magicsmiles in 2008 to treat people aged 18 and above after becoming frustrated with NHS services.

But in January, the dental surgery, announced it had closed on its website.