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?

I had all my teeth out.....never again!

I don't see the problem. The vast majority of the NHS operates during daytime weekdays. If you went to the Drs or a hospital appointment you'd have to go during the day. If the Dentist was solely NHS and not private, you'd have to go in the day. This Dentist provides for NUH and private patients. The private patients get the premium appointments because they effectively pay for them.

If there were no benefit to having money, nobody would work at all.

Its not just rich people who pay for private dental care. Where I live there are no dentists taking on new nhs patients and there haven't been for years, apart from children. I'm shitting myself every time I go for a check up in case I have to have any work done. My lovely dentist referred me to the hospital for a tooth out a couple of years ago because she knew that I couldn't afford to pay her to take it out and deal with follow up care. The roots of it were very close to my nasal passage and the last time I had one out it ripped a hole in my nasal passage. Teeth problems are due to chemo.

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 agree with you OP - it was the same at the orthodontist. DS was NHS so had to be seen in school hours. Plebs can miss school, you see, it doesn't matter if their education is adversely affected.

The only good thing was that his school finished at 2.30, so we could sneak in for one of the last school time appointments around 3.20.

What I would say though is that appointments out of hours are likely to cost more to provide as the employees will want overtime - so that may also be a factor in when the private appointments are offered.

YABU

That’s what they’re paying the private fees for- a more convenient service. If that convenience was offered to NHS patients too then what would be the point of anyone paying private fees? It wouldn’t be getting them anything extra.

If you went to the Drs or a hospital appointment you'd have to go during the day

Hospital yes, although some appointments are offered at weekends now (my mum had a weekend slot for an MRI scan a few years ago). GPs offer early mornings and evening appointments though - at least at my surgery they do - specifically called commuter appointments.

Go private then OP

I think theres a lot of well reasoned responses and to be frank you just think everyone is against you.

At our GP and dentist surgery only working people can have the early morning and late afternoon slots, school pupils are expected to have time off school and students off college or university

I guess if we all pay more tax, the dentists will get better funded and there will be more of them able to offer more appointments.

We dont so, as with everything, those that can will get best appointments. The rest of us must take leave.

I live on an island, no NHS places at all. 🤷

If you're unemployed, you're free any time, if you're on flexible working hours you're more flexible, if you're a SAHM you can be flexible, if you're self-employed you're flexible

You're making a lot of sweeping assumptions about these groups of people, OP - what makes you think that they have any more flexibility than you have?

People who have flexible working arrangements often have very tight schedules whereby they have to dash to relieve someone else of childcare responsibilities (hence needing the flexible working) and many people who are self-employed are at the behest of clients and can't just take an afternoon off to go to the dentist any more than you can. And you get paid if you take annual leave to go to the dentist - they don't!

I used to go to the dentist (including getting a wisdom tooth removed) in my lunch hour - I had to change dentists to find one near work, but would that be an option for you?

If employers were compelled to give paid time off for medical appointments those with a disability would face even greater barriers to employment.

I think my last company had it right. 7 hours a year for personal appointments then you used TOIL you'd accrued or made the time up. Employers who won't look at a flexible approach are pretty shitty but it's not the fault of the dentists. And as I said the OP seems to think her manager picks on her anyway.

Our GP and dental practices have signs up to say please only book the very early or very late appointments if you really need them due to work.

If employers were compelled to give paid time off for medical appointments those with a disability would face even greater barriers to employment.

I have a disability and haven't had any annual leave in 3 years. All of my A/L is taken for medical appointments.

If the government mandated at least some time off at least I'd get some A/L to use for myself. New GP surgery booking system is just going to make my situation even worse.

Still, perhaps I should just pay privately huh?

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras that's dreadful.

I meant really that employers would find even more excuses not to employ those with disabilities, but I can see what you're saying. That is a truly awful situation.

YABVU. This isn’t an NHS/dentist issue, this is a you/your employer issue.

I can’t afford a private dentist but that’s what I’ve got, because there are no NHS dentists with space.

I had to pay nearly £1k in dental treatment fees just before Christmas. Borrowed the money.

I don’t know anyone for whom ‘working full time’ means working in a fixed location between 9-5 Monday to Friday. I work full time, but I can be up to 20 miles away or working in my bedroom, some nights I’m working well into the evenings after I’ve got the children to bed and I work alternate weekends.

You seem rather set in your thinking about this.

Cheeky moaning fucker alert, you haven’t even been living here for the last 40 years

I’m struggling to decide where to start with your OP and subsequent updates without starting a 4 page rant.

Your logic is flawed, the assumptions you make are over generalised and wrong, and your whole way of thinking on this is ridiculous.

I actually find it quite offensive to those that do suffer genuine discrimination (which is not me btw beyond the usual odd bit of sexism from working in a heavily male dominated sector). I’d hate to think how those that are genuine victims feel about your statements.

As many pp have said, you have an issue with your employer here, not the dentist.

If you want the private service and it’s a real priority for you, then look at how you might be able to afford it. Plenty of people have to do this because they CANNOT access an NHS dentist.

My private dental plan is £12.95 a month, that includes two check ups and hygienist appointments a year with no additional charge.

If you can afford the internet to moan on mumsnet you can afford £12.95 a month.

Theres been no NHS dentists here for over 8 years, i've had to pay for my DC privately, but could never afford to do the same for me..
Be grateful OP that you can get to see a dentist, regardless of time!

I was wondering, if another perspective could be that taking private clients enables that particular dentist to continue doing NHS work? And of course, if this is so, the dentist needs to be attractive to private clients - and this could be one way of being so?