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With an additional two years of prototypes planned, Nigel Jones questions when enough is enough. The invitation from NHS England for expressions of interest to become a fourth wave prototype practice brought further confirmation that the prototype regulations have been extended for another two years. This is, of course, being positioned as further evidence of…
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With many dentists reflecting on their future in the profession, Nigel Jones wonders how the Government is going to provide NHS dental services, particularly to priority groups. It’s an incredibly sad reflection of the NHS and the pressures that dentists feel under, that the majority don’t see themselves working in the system in 2022. What’s even…
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Implementing a CSR strategy this year could be very rewarding for your practice, says Nigel Jones. Although different businesses have different financial years, it’s hard to approach a new calendar year without thinking about things you might like to do differently. Ordinarily, at this time of year, my head is full of budgets, forecasts and…
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What technique is most effective? Nigel Jones says it’s worth the effort to analyse the problem you are trying to solve It’s a challenge that most dental practices, whether general or specialist, are continually trying to tackle – how to attract the right number of the right type of patients? It’s very tempting to jump…
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Should young dentists be more business savvy when they leave university, Nigel Jones questions. Ever since I started working with the dental profession, back in 1990, people have bemoaned the lack of business training for dentists at undergraduate level and, on the face of it, this is a legitimate concern. After all, they can end…
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Nigel Jones shares the results of a happiness survey of dentists and discusses the implications for the future of the profession. The results from the latest NHS Confidence Monitor survey have painted a stark picture of a deep gulf between the happiness levels of NHS dentists compared to private dentists. The former overwhelmingly said they…
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Nigel Jones discusses one of the perceived barriers to moving from NHS to private practice – the fear of losing too many patients. How many patients do you need to retain to make the move from NHS to private dentistry a success? This is what seems to be the million-dollar question – or rather, the…
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Nigel Jones asks Judith Husband why she believes a move to private dentistry is the only way to improve confidence levels. The NHS Dentistry Insights Panel, hosted by Practice Plan, met twice in 2016, focusing in the main on the profession’s lack of confidence in NHS dentistry and the future of the dental profession as…
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Nigel Jones says if you’re beginning to think about your options away from the NHS, the first step is to begin analysing how well placed your practice is to make a move to private dentistry. It has been an extraordinary start to 2017 for the NHS, and unfortunately – but unsurprisingly – not a positive…
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In an exclusive interview with Dentistry.co.uk, Practice Plan’s Nigel Jones considers some of the options before dental professionals in light of the three sets of results gathered by the NHS Confidence Monitor. Dentistry.co.uk: What did you set out to achieve by conducting the NHS Confidence Monitors? Nigel Jones: We know that the NHS is the…
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Nigel Jones reviews the current landscape of NHS dentistry. It is an interesting time at the moment in NHS dentistry as there are a couple of notable developments occurring. Firstly, rolled out in three phases in December, January and February, the line-up of practices working under one of the two blends of NHS prototype dental…
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Nigel Jones reflects on the last few months and discusses the conundrum of NHS dentistry in England. In the wake of the general election, it has been a quiet few months for NHS dentistry in England – quieter than many would have expected – and it’s hard to know what to read into that, if…
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Julian English talks to Nigel Jones, sales director at Practice Plan, about his views on the future of NHS dentistry as he reflects on 25 years in dentistry. Julian: In a recent Practice Plan poll, 72% of respondents said they do not think NHS dentistry will be fit for purpose in 10 years’ time. What…
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Nigel Jones, sales director at Practice Plan, discusses the important factors to consider when contemplating the feasibility of going private. Taking the step to convert from the NHS to private care is not without its risks and to suggest otherwise would be disingenuous. However, as with most major business decisions, with the right planning and…
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Nigel Jones, sales director at Practice Plan, explains how to get your patient communications right when converting to private practice. Making the decision to leave the NHS will involve an assessment of any risks and developing a strategy to mitigate those risks. Central to such a strategy will be the communications plan to patients, as…
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As NHS dentists digest the information emerging about the prototype dental contracts, an increasing number have seen enough to convince them that their future lies outside of the NHS, says Nigel Jones. For many observers, this will be no surprise as the barrage of different measures to which NHS dentists seem likely to be subjected…
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Nigel Jones takes a look at how the forthcoming planned changes within NHS dentistry may or may not creep up on NHS dental professionals. It was about a year ago when language such as ‘sophisticated transition’ started being used in respect of the planned reform of the NHS dental contract. Although this approach has been…
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Nigel Jones contemplates the forthcoming general election, and considers the ‘what if’ scenarios for the dental industry. It’s going to be a fascinating few weeks. Or rather, maybe it will be a tortuous few weeks culminating in a fascinating day on the 7 May. Whatever your degree of interest in the fervent campaigning to which…
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Nigel Jones discusses NHS dentistry, its evolution and what it could mean for NHS practitioners and their options for the future. Although a precedent exists for a significant change to NHS dentistry in the run up to a General Election, with the infamous July 1992 fee cut, no one is seriously expecting anything dramatic to…
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