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?

My NHS dentist really isn't like this. I am going 8.40am tomorrow, told work as I left today that I would be in at 9.30. I live 30minures away.

(Fairly) good employer and services means I can accommodate most things.

If I have to take time off, I try and double up on stuff.

You know no NHS treatment is free right ? Its cheaper than private but not free.

As for appointments if a dentist is getting money from private patients in addition to NHS why shouldn't they make extra appointments available for them ?

Your problem is with your employer. I work in the public sector and there is rarely an issue with someone being allowed time for a medical appointment.

You are lucky you have a choice of working days. My dentist now only works one day a week at my current practice and I have to book a minimum of 8 weeks in advance to get an appointment between 9-9.30am.

Yabu.

So, you want a system whereby everybody gets treated the same regardless of their contribution to society? Where one can't pay to get anything better than anyone else?
How would that work exactly? Why become a head teacher with all the stress and hours that entails, if you're entitled to the same as a teaching assistant for example?

Agree with PP it’s a bit much for you to be claiming tax payers should get priority (as if private patients aren’t also tax payers) when you’ve been out of the country for 40 years, have returned after 40 years of not contributing, and now expect loads of nhs dental treatment.

If you seriously think this is discrimination then you need a lesson in the actual definition of discrimination. Working 9-5 is not a protected characteristic.

Your employer and lack of flexibility is the issue, not your dentist. You’re extremely lucky to have found a dentist taking on new nhs patients at all.

I have a private dental plan - costs me just over £20 per month. I have it, not because I am rich, far from it, but because I couldn't afford to pay the nhs treatment all in one go so worked out better for me. That said, weekend and late evening appointments are hard to get - you have to be prepared to wait quite some time.

As others have said nhs dentistry isnt free, unless you have an exemption.

It is interesting though that you haven't lived here for 40 years yet expect nhs treatment when you've not paid into the pot in that time.

Again, as others have said, your issue should be with your employer not your dentist.

I wouldn't say it's discrimination, but it is unfair, unless you are prepared to take annual leave then it's forcing your hand to pay more. I wouldn't say that this is the case for every working person though, as has been said many work shifts etc and so daytime apps are fine. Trying to find an NHS dentist as a whole is ridiculous, there aren't any taking on here, and I have to pay for a private appointment for myself for the pleasure of my under 16 year old getting the NHS appointments he is entitled to- because they cant accept me as NHS, but can't take under 16s without a parent being active on the books, apparently.

I should have added while my dentist sees me (and her patients) at the practice on the NHS, there are some things she cannot do on the NHS. So you either have to pay privately or have worse treatment.

Some employers are shit. Your employer is shit and doesn’t give a shit about their employees.

I live 1-1.5 hours away from work. I have somewhat flexible working in that I can start at 10 for example and occasionally work from home. Even if I get a 8/8.30 appointment at the dentist or doctors, I’m going to be late in unless I work from home. My work doesn’t need me to make up the time for appointments. However, as were so under resourced, I end up making up the time. I’m fortunate that my employer allows this. However, my employer (despite being shit in many ways) is halfway decent in this area. This isn’t about rich people jobs. The median wage for my organisation is just below national average. A dental plan is offered to all employees, along with a few other benefits that you opt into. It doesn’t matter if your a MD or an apprentice, you can pay a small monthly amount and have private dental plan and have time off to attend appointments, if they can’t be booked outside working hours.

I realise you’re pissed off but the problem is your employer.

OP you sound utterly unhinged. You haven't been here for 40 years but think you're hard done by when you have an NHS dentist to do the 'loads of work' you need? Get a fucking grip. You're also completely unreasonable for assuming we all fall into the same narrow idea of what full time work is. I work full time, but not Mon-Fri 9-5. There's a lot of us who do.

You haven’t lived here for 40 years?
Just how much UK tax have you paid in those 40 years vs someone resident in the UK and working part time, paying tax for four decades?

What bollocks.

I don’t see how it’s fair or equitable to expect other people to pay for your dental care and to punish people who do the right thing and support themselves financially by giving them the crappy appointments. The economic reality of the situation is that the NHS doesn’t pay enough for dentists to make a decent living do they have to do their best to attract private patients, you really have no more right to the good appointments than people who pay so YABU.

There's some proper "I'm alright Jack" going on on here.

The fact that some employers offer private dental plans or give time off for appointments doesn't mean that all do. So many people are employed on zero hour contracts or by exploitative employers, do you think they're going to be giving dental plans or paid time off?

It's not just about the op is it, but about everyone in the same position.

You haven't lived here for 40 years, yet your tax pays for the NHS and that means you should have a dental appointment which fits your work schedule?

Given that you don't like your working conditions or your employer's expectations perhaps it's time you looked for another job.

And it's not just dentists. Anyone who offers a professional service where different rates are payable will prioritise higher paying / private clients when it comes to offering the premium appointments. I do it myself. My private rate is almost double the rate providers pay me for referred clients.

ilovesooty

I accept principles of supply and demand and capitalism when it comes to paying for most things, just not medical services. I think everyone deserves good treatment, not just those that can afford to pay for it.

I would have thought people might well lose more money taking annual leave to go to the dentist than some private plans cost.

In principle @Hearhoovesthinkzebras i agree. It simply isn't practicable though to prioritise non private customers in some sectors and I think dentistry is one.

I just book dental or GP appointments as early in the morning as I can, or close to the time I finish work so I can either come into work slightly late or leave slightly early depending. My employer doesn’t mind though. Luckily both practices open before 9 so I have the option of appointments before I start work.

I accept principles of supply and demand and capitalism when it comes to paying for most things, just not medical services. I think everyone deserves good treatment, not just those that can afford to pay for it.

This isn't about the treatment, it's about the convenience of the time it's delivered. Private patients get access to out of office hours and weekend appointments. Good for them, they're paying for that privilege.

And people who work have to choose whether to go to the Dr/dentist or to work. As a poster said above, she couldn't take time off work and so ended up.in A and E. How is that preferable to either the NHS or tax payers than early treatment?

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras it's still an employer issue rather than a dentistry issue. Whichever way you want to turn it.

If she's not happy with her employer she has two options - tell them and enforce a change, or leave.

It is an employer issue, and as I said since it appears the OP has other issues with her employer she might benefit from looking elsewhere.

I missed the fact the OP has lived out of the UK for 40 years.....

It might well be an emitter issue but the fact remains that there are a lot of employers like it - who will fulfill their statutory obligations but no more, and many people in this country don't have the luxury of changing jobs nor of enforcing their employer to change policy (not if they still want a job at the end of it).

As I said, maybe the government need to compel employers to give employees paid time off for medical/dental appointments if they won't compel providers to work more flexibly.