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AIBU?

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Original poster

To give a false address to our dentist?

28 replies

Upwind · 24/04/2008 16:17

Well not so much give a false address, as fail to update our address. We moved in January, I have called about 10 dental surgeries in the area and none are taking on new patients.

Our old dentist is not very far away, but almost certainly in a different catchment. He seems to be excellent at his work and has a big sign outside welcoming new NHS patients.

I am worried if I update our address I will be told I need to find someone closer. And if I don't we will somehow be defrauding the NHS

OP posts:
nametaken · 24/04/2008 17:17

YANBU - can't see how it's defrauding anyone - the NHS pays for your dental treatment and if you have it in a different area I can't see what difference it would make.

WigWamBam · 24/04/2008 16:27

I used to live 20 miles away from my dentist. He was still happy to treat me as an NHS patient.

I don't think dentists have "catchments" as such - why don't you ring them (without giving your name) and ask what their policy is?

You need to update your address so that they can send you reminders and such like - if you don't, the chances are that the people who now live at your old address will send the mail back anyway so the surgery will know you don't live there anymore.

AMumInScotland · 24/04/2008 16:26

I don't think dentists have catchment areas in the same way GPs do, so you'd probably be OK. You could always ask all innocently "if I was to move away, would I have to change?", then tell them the new address a few weeks later...