Private Dentistry Awards winner – Faith Phillips of Guildhall Dental

Guildhall private dentistry awardsThis month we talk to award winner Faith Phillips of Guildhall Dental about being a winner at the most prestigious awards in UK dentistry.

How does it feel for Guildhall to have won a Private Dentistry award?

Faith Phillips: Very proud of the Guildhall team, it is such a prestigious achievement and it really does take every member of the team to make the practice operate as well as it does. It is certainly something we can all share in; every person can reflect and feel delighted about the contribution they have made toward the practice winning Practice of the Year East for the past two years.

How did it feel when your name was announced?

FP: There is always some apprehension on the night of the awards as you are waiting for the results; you do experience a moment of worry that perhaps this year the practice has not been lucky. Hearing the practice name called is a wonderful experience. There is an overwhelming feeling of relief and pride in the accomplishment. It is a very exciting feeling for the whole team.

What do you think have been the main benefits of entering the awards?

FP: It is nice to have public acknowledgement of the hard work that has gone on during this particularly challenging year. I think it is encouraging for the patients to know that the practice is always striving for excellence. The service they are getting is of such a high standard year on year.

It is also a great marketing tool to encourage new patients to join us. Recognising that we are the regions award winning practice certainly turns heads and new patients feel much more reassured.

Have you entered before?

FP: Yes – we also won Practice of the Year East in 2019 and were Highly Commended in the same category in 2018.

What do you think the Private Dentistry Awards are doing to standards within the profession?

FP: We think it provides an incentive to do better and ensures the practice continually thinks of new ways to improve the service given to patients. 

How are you coping with lockdown and this COVID-19 crisis?

FP: It was tough in the first lockdown when the practice had to close. We did have a telephone triage service in place, but it was frustrating when we had contact from patients who were having a problem or experiencing pain and we were so limited in how we could help them!

On returning from lockdown, Gensmile had organised continuous supplies of PPE and decontamination products. Therefore, we could open quickly and safely for all our patients and staff. This was invaluable to us. It was a relief when we were able to open our doors again.

Since then we have been trying our best to carry on as normal as possible. Patients have received the same great service they have come to expect from Guildhall. We have obviously had to introduce some new measures and enhance cross infection control procedures. We have shared our new patient journey on our website and social media so our patients can feel confident before they visit us.

What advice with you give people who are thinking of entering the awards?

FP: Go for it! You have to be in it to win it! Just strive to do your best and one day your efforts will pay off and you will hopefully win an award and feel as proud as we do.

Will you be entering the awards again this year?

FP: Yes, we would love to win the overall ‘Practice of the Year’ award.


This article first appeared in Private Dentistry magazine. You can read the latest issue here.

For more information about the Private Dentistry Awards and to submit your entry, visit dentistry.co.uk/awards/private-dentistry-awards.

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