Dentist tries to block dental group ‘takeover’

A long-standing member of a dental groupis planning to block the takeover of his assocation.
 
Ex-treasurer Neville Bainbridge of the Dental Professionals’ Association (DPA) claims to have received more than twice the number of letters required to call a special general meeting of the of the Association – which is being taken over by dental organisation, CODE.
 
Earlier this month, CODE chief executive Paul Mendlesohn announced the team had been asked by the DPA to ‘manage it and bring a fresh innovative approach’.

On the CODE website, he announced: ‘CODE and the DPA will remain completely separate associations, each with their own remit, CODE is to there to help practice owners and managers to comply, and grow their practices, and the DPA is the Voice of the Dental Team, the independent representative body.’
 
But some DPA members are unhappy with the plans.
 
Neville Bainbridge, a member of the DPA for more than 50 years, explained: ‘I am proposing a meeting in London at 2pm on Saturday 14 April. Efforts are now turning towards getting a high turnout to save the DPA as a mutual not-for-profit association.’
 
He say that in January – ‘ in the expectation that they would receive share options’ –  the DPA council voted to transfer the DPA assets to a subsidiary of the CODE group owned by Paul Mendlesohn. They also signed an agreement to keep this secret from DPA members.
 
Independent legal advice obtained on behalf of the members by DPA chief executive Derek Watson stated: ‘The council has acted beyond the powers granted to it under the Rules and/or has been in breach of the Rules both at the Meeting and by some of its subsequent actions.. On 29th February Derek Watson was suspended from work and later dismissed without notice.
 
Neville said: ‘The members will have the final say and they must be told what is going on. They only have to look at what has happened since day-to-day management of the Association was delegated to CODE.’
 
‘The future of the DPA as an independent, not-for-profit voice for general practice is at stake. Any benefits that CODE could offer would be better developed within a mutual framework where they can be provided with profits going to the members and without 20 per cent VAT.’

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