Choosing to move from NHS to private dentistry can be an extremely scary prospect – Practice Plan shares the journey of Hanford Dental in overcoming the fear.
Making this move can be the biggest change a dentist can make in their career so it’s little wonder that fear can become a factor in the final decision.
‘Will enough patients want to stay with the practice for the move to be viable? How will the local community react? What will my team think?’ These are common misgivings felt by those debating the merits of handing back their contracts.
For dentists who have trained in the UK and started their careers as NHS dentists, as well as these fears there is also a strong emotional attachment to the service that can play a part in the decision-making process. Despite the toll years of ‘treadmill dentistry’ can take upon both their mental and physical health, many find the prospect of turning their back on the service a struggle.
After decades of working for the NHS, despite wrestling with the dilemmas mentioned above, Principal Dentist at Hanford Dental, Ged Cummings, decided he needed to hand back his NHS contract.
Although he had been carrying out private dentistry since he bought the practice in 2009, around one third of the treatments at the practice were still NHS funded.
However, over the past few years Ged and his practice manager wife Kate had come to feel disenchanted with NHS dentistry and believed their future lay in private dentistry.
Tugging at the heartstrings
The final decision to hand back the contract was not made lightly, as Ged explains: ‘Losing the NHS contract was difficult. It does tug at your heartstrings a bit. I’ve been qualified now for over 25 years, and I’ve always done some NHS dentistry.
‘So, it was difficult to give it up, but the time was right. It was getting more difficult every year to remain in the NHS and I feel I can provide a better service outside the NHS.’
When his associate dentist Will Edlin joined the practice, Ged had already been considering handing back the contract, so he and Kate were open with him about their intentions.
‘Very early on we had a conversation and made it clear that we didn’t want to keep our NHS contract for much longer,’ Ged explained. ‘We felt that the NHS contract didn’t work for us anymore. We don’t like target-based dentistry. And it just seemed to be becoming more and more stressful to hit targets. So, our aim was to get rid of it as soon as we could.’
Getting the timing right
However, they wanted to ensure that they made the move at the time that was best for them.
As Kate explains: ‘We bided our time with the conversion this time round because we felt it was the right time to do it. We’d waited and we’d been watching the dental market and what had been happening with the NHS contracts.
‘We eventually felt with our own contract, and what was happening nationally, that it was the right time to go.’ They also believed that the actions of other practices supported the timing of their decision.
‘Other people were announcing that they were handing their contracts back or reducing their NHS commitment, so, we knew it was the right time to go and it was the right way to move forward for our dentistry in the future.’
Despite having gone through a partial NHS conversion with Practice Plan when he bought the practice originally, Ged admits there was still some trepidation about handing back the whole NHS contract. His main concern, as is the case with many practice owners, was whether sufficient patients would be prepared to pay for private dentistry.
‘Losing patients was a potential worry,’ he acknowledges. ‘We were approximately one third NHS when we decided to lose the contract. Stoke-on-Trent is not the most affluent area in the country, so our concern was that we could lose patients to other practices.’
‘Fears were unfounded’
However, the problems with patient access and the increasingly widespread acceptance of patients that private dentistry is often their only option to maintain their oral health, meant Ged’s fears were unfounded.
As he says: ‘Fortunately for us, there weren’t really any other practices in the area that were taking NHS patients on, so we had a bit of a captive audience.
‘Luckily, the number of patients that have stayed with Will and the practice have been sufficient for us to continue to pay our bills. It’s worked well for us so far.’ Will echoes Ged’s positive take on the change.
‘Obviously, I’d done mostly NHS work up until a few years before. And you do worry that on day one you won’t have any patients to see if nobody wants to stay and see you,’ he says.
‘However, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Naturally, we lost some patients, but I think it would be impossible to expect one hundred percent retention. But I was pleasantly surprised with how many wanted to carry on their care with me. And a lot of them have been really positive about some of the changes we’re able to make outside of the NHS contract.’
Practice Plan, the obvious choice for support
The choice of Practice Plan to support them through the conversion was an obvious one for Ged. ‘I was already with Practice Plan when I took over the practice in 2009,’ he says. ‘I’d had good experiences as a Practice Plan customer, and they’d always been great with me. It’s a great team, and they’re always very helpful.
‘Also, I’ve had the same regional support manager (RSM) all the way through, Josie Hutchings, so it was a no brainer for me really to stick with Practice Plan and convert the rest of our NHS contract with their help.’ Ged and the team are appreciative of the way the team supported them during the change.
‘The support we received during our conversion was fantastic,’ he enthuses. ‘I’d been through the procedure once before many years ago, so I kind of knew what to expect. But it’s still nerve wracking because you don’t know how many patients are going to stay with you. Fortunately, Practice Plan held our hand all the way through, and we hit our targets quite comfortably.’
Kate was equally glowing in her praise of Practice Plan’s assistance during the conversion: ‘I think the whole practice plan ethos is excellent,’ she states. ‘They look at the whole practice from top to bottom and everybody’s included.’
Unrivalled support
And, as Ged, Kate and Will can attest, things don’t stop after the conversion has completed. Practice Plan customers are eligible to attend workshops and courses on topics including finance, marketing and HR, many of which count towards CPD. Practices can also take advantage of subsidised Mental Health First Aid courses which are highly valued by those who have completed them.
In addition to courses and events practices can also tap into a network of industry leading business consultants as well as local ad hoc groups set up by our RSMs.
However, the support most valued by customers comes from our teams. As well as our 25 field-based RSMs and customer service team, Practice Plan also has eight head office-based relationship support advisors (RSAs).
Having both teams offers greater opportunities to build lasting relationships with customers and make sure that they get the service they deserve.
Meaning whenever help is needed, it’s only ever a phone call away. How much all this means to practices is summed up by Kate: ‘The support we get from our RSM Josie is amazing,’ she comments.
‘The practice manager group that she has set up is so valuable. And the support we get from head office is also first class. Practice Plan is really the best, most supportive plan provider for dental practices.’
Get in touch
If you’re considering your options away from the NHS and are looking for a plan provider who will hold your hand through the process at a pace that’s right for you, you can start the conversation with Practice Plan on 01691 684165 or book your one-to-one NHS to private call today at practiceplan.co.uk/nhsvirtual.
For more information, visit practiceplan.co.uk/nhs.
