Discrimination against working people?

[Ceci03]

AIBU to think this is discrimination? Have just signed up with a dentist and was lucky to get accepted as an NHS patient. But the receptionist said evening, early morning, and Saturday appointments are only for private patients. Seems unfair. I work in a place where I have to take annual leave for dentist and doctor appointments. Seems unfair but AIBU. Seeing as fulltime workers pay tax which goes to fund the nhs right?

Sorry I don't think it's unreasonable for people who pay more to get a more convenient option. The amount that the dentist receives from treating an NHS patient is much less than they get for doing the same work on a private patient. You are still getting the treatment, you are just not getting the added benefit of the dentist working out-of-hours - you can bet that if the dentist had NHS-only patients then they would ONLY be open during standard office hours. The extended hours into evenings and weekends are therefore only available because there are private patients willing to pay for them.

It’s not descrimation against working people it’s capitalism... the most in demand time/appointments they make more money out of.

perfectly reasonable. NHS routine services always operate on a 9-5 - private patients can choose to pay more for the convenience of being seen out of hours.

when did paid dental care become so widespread in Britain. It's 40 years since I lived here, but when I did, back in the 70's nobody paid for the dentist.

well I still think its discriminatory. It's assuming NHS patients' time is less important than rich people who can afford to pay!!! Not exactly an equal society is it.

I don’t think being employed is a protected characteristic.

When they changed the rules in the 80s or 90s. The NHS can't cover everything.

Well in terms of changes since the 70's ... you're very lucky to get an NHS dentist at all :)

How can it be discriminatory against working people - don’t you think the people paying for private dental treatment are working?

Not everyone works 9 -5, Monday to Friday.

YABU. No NHS dentist round here offers appointments outside 8.30-6.

Your dentist is likely only offering these out of hours appointments because it's worth their while financially. If they had to give them to lower-paying NHS patients then they'd just stop doing them.

YABU as well saying it's discrimination against working people. People who don't work also don't get these appointments unless they go privately. Most of the private patients are likely to be working people.

you are lucky to have an nhs dentist - we cant and havent been able to get one locally in over 10 years even for our under 18 children £50 per child per checkup might - As I am paying for this service I want it when its convenient for us.

OK it's discriminatory against working people with lots of cash! People in low paid jobs - who often work long hours - have to take time out of their annual leave. MAybe dentists should re-consider their working hours - work weekends and evenings and early mornings rather than 9-5 with special times for the wealthy who can afford to pay for the privilege. What kind of society do we want? I just think if you're working you should be able to fit in your dentist appointments without having to take annual leave. AIBU?

You could go private yourself if you can afford it. I pay about £40 a month for private dental insurance for my family (get it through work and don't pay NI on it as salary sacrifice), for an individual it's about half that.

back in the 70s no dentist worked outside the 9-5 though!

and I can't think of anything where the privately funded option isn't better than the state-funded option (schools, housing, hospitals, end-of-life residential care, gyms, nurseries, etc etc). in all these things, the tax payer / state funded option is the minimum acceptable standard of service and if you want better you pay.

People use the 'D' word all too easily these days. A slight unfairness, granted, but conveinience is part of the deal with private medicine and its one of the reasons you pay extra.

I always feel that patients work around the NHS Dr's, not the other way around. Your health is worth an hour away from work. Any decent employer will give you the time off to attend medical appointments, or at least faciltate a swap or allow you to make the time up.

That said, it does annoy me when you see retired people taking up all the early morning/evening and weekend GP appointments.

It's not outside 8.30 to 6 - it's 9.30 to 4.30.

Employers should make allowances then - allow time off for appointments for full-time working people.

YANBU. It’s the people who can least afford private treatment who can least afford to take time off and often have little flexibility about when they attend. That is unfortunately the world we live in.

@40Ceci03 the issue is your employer making you take annual leave.

I can have a dentist appointment at any time during the working day, just make up the hour i'm out at some other point

It's not technically dicrimination but I know what you mean. When I was working I wasn't allowed to take annual leave at certain times of the year. It just so happened I got really bad toothache during that time and called my dentist. I was working full time but single and got child tax credits hence being entitled. The dentist could only offer me an appt between 9-5. I couldn't go, a few weeks I ended up in a&e with a really bad infection because I couldn't do anything about it. I did argue with then on the phone that they said they are open evenings and weekends but apprently that is for private only. That visit to a&e definitely cost the NHS more than what it would have to get an appt at 6pm instead of 5pm!

It’s really not, logically you register close to your work and go on lunch breaks, book the very first appointment or the very last if your boss would let you out 15 minutes early or start 15minutes late and earn it back. Usually if you’re teeth are ok it’s two appointments a year, so hardly a weekly loss of income.

Not all of the world work Monday to Friday 9-5, so to cater to everyone you’d be looking at 24hour dentists and doctors. 8am-10pm shifts need access too.

Yeah well I would like a society that is fair and equitable. Seems so many people just accept the 'status quo' that if you're rich, your "entitled" to special treatment. I don't agree with that! What's so special about rich people?
Yeah if employers were flexible it would help. Unfortunately mine isn't. I need a lot of dental work done so it's going to be multiple half-days and even whole days, as if the appointment is at 12, I wont be able to fit in a half day around that.

Yeah well I would like a society that is fair and equitable

How do you feel about people in areas who can’t access NHS dentists because there simply isn’t space?

Surely it’s unfair that you have an NHS dentist when other people don’t?

People in low paid jobs - who often work long hours

Some of the lowest paid jobs are in retail, hospitality and care work. It's rare in those jobs to get weekends off - staff generally get weekdays off instead. I'm not saying all low paid jobs are like that - but any appointment pattern will exclude someone on the basis of their working hours.

Apparently, typo sorry! As I was writing some other people have replied too. I was on a couple of pence above minimum wage (being just out of sixth form and in my first job) and I certainly couldn't afford to pay privately. I didn't even take sick leave when I was genuinely ill for the first 3 months because it was unpaid! Sure I would have taken annual leave if I could but I still would have waited to see the dentist because I would have wanted to make that day then worthwhile, you could sell them back after and I'd rather do that as I really needed the money. My employer wasnt shitty either, leave dates were based on business need as are many annual leave policies.