To be raging my dentist will only see private patients for routine checkup

[VeniceQueen2004]

My daughter is overdue for her checkup. My dentist is now making routine appts for private patients but not NHS. I asked if I could pay private for her as a one off, and they told me that if I do that Ilwe'll come permanently off their NHS list and go onto their private plan (they would never accept me back as an NHS patient).

I ranted a bit on local FB group and it turns out this is common practice!

Is it just me who thinks this is shameless profiteering?

That’s really annoying, I don’t think my dentist does that? I’m pretty sure they’ve let me dip in and out of NHS and private before. What about calling some private clinics to book a private appointment, and staying with your current clinic when it goes back to normality?

I’m assuming your dd is still a child?

I don’t think they are being unreasonable to only accept private adult patients for something as simple as a check up, but they are being incredibly unreasonable to withhold NHS treatments and check ups for children.

She is a child yes. Hasn't had a check up since January

It’s not profiteering at all, the Dentists are bound by the rules given by the NHSE so they cannot do routine check ups atm or they would loose their NHS contract.
It’s actually a blessing they can see anyone privately

If you want to be annoyed, but annoyed at the poor planning of public health/ NHSE

Some NHS dentists are doing check ups. Myself and my DD had ours back in August.

I was due to have a scale and polish in March but it was cancelled. I was also due to have a broken tooth fixed and an old filling re-done. Since lockdown I have had two emergency NHS appointments with my dentist, one to sort out inflammation due to the missed s&p and one to extract the broken tooth which had been saveable beforehand. I still can't get a regular appointment but my dentist is seeing private patients. It's so frustrating, especially as the tooth with the dodgy filling is now also on the way out.

So YANBU.

They absolutely can take nhs patients for a check up. Mine is due and i emailed them and they are open again. Im booking my appointment next month.

Yes op thats shameless and a disgrace.

@Frenchtoastie that's balls though as other practices in the same postcode are seeing NHS patients for routine check ups (but not taking any new NHS patients at the moment, quite understandably). Also if it's not profiteering then why not let me pay for a private one off without hoofing me off the NHS list for good? They're using the situation to force people onto their private plan.

Look for a new dentist OP. I had a similar thing, my dentist won’t see anyone for a check up for at least 6 more months, meaning I’ll have gone over 18m without a check up and my daughter wouldn’t be seen til she was almost 2. I have gone to a private one instead, but I did have some people on a local fb group recommend NHS dentists who were doing non emergency work at the moment, so it’s clearly not a blanket policy.

Sorry, missed your last message. That’s annoying they’re not taking new patients. I agree it’s profiteering.

I can't get my son a check up either but I'm allowed to get an expensive white filling next week.
I'm in Scotland where social distancing doesn't apply to children my sons age too.

Each practice is completely independent so some practices only have to capacity to see emergency patients and work through cancelled appointments..where as others may have already caught up on these things and be able to start seeing exams...

They are private businesses trying to make a profit, their private patient income will have been decimated.

The unreasonable part is the privatisation of dental services.

Ours is doing the same. I will be switching practices as soon as I can

My dentist has seen all 4 of our family for a check up. Xrayed both my daughters and i have seen the hygenist. We are private daughters nhs.

When I rang up to make my kids another appointment for one that was cancelled in July, I was told by the receptionist that they were waiting for the go ahead from the NHS and weren’t allowed to see anyone till then ?

YABU they are just trying to make a profit in difficult times my son was due his 6 month checkup in March but it was cancelled so he has not been for nearly a year.

It can depend on lots of factors like the size of the NHS contract your practice has. Our practice has a large NHS contract and we are bound by their regulations to only see urgent patients at present. Our NHS funding depends on us sticking to these rules, no matter how much we would like to change them. We are completely booked up for the next few weeks with urgent appointments so there is no more room to see any check ups. We are running at 20% capacity due to cleaning tines, spacing between appointments and to enable distancing on reception and waiting areas. If we started booking check ups, we would not be able to see patients in pain. Private patients can be seen outside NHS contracted hours because as long as we fulfil our NHS contracted hours, the rest of the time is ours to book as we see fit. Practices which have a small NHS contract will not have the same volume of patients to see so may have room to fit in check ups as well as urgent appointments.

I work in private healthcare (different profession). It’s so stressful, absolute nightmare to run a business and look after patients while trying to decipher PHE and the professional body’s’ guidance.

They don’t have to be open for all the treatments they’re “allowed” to. They can stick with how they can manage their waiting list best.

I’m glad to be in what is proving to be a Covid-resilient profession, but gosh it is hard work.

There has always been this view that private dentistry is just making a profit. Of course it is, it’s running a business! If it didn’t make a profit, it would be untenable and wouldn’t last long! NHS dentists’ funding comes from the NHS which they hold a contract with. The terms of the contract must be upheld for the practice to receive the funding.... no matter how bizarre those terms are! Some things can’t be done on the NHS due to the rules. Anything can be offered privately because you are then a paying customer.

My DC's had a routine NHS check up in August

@MilkLady02 has it spot on.

The sad thing about most of these threads is that the rage is directed at the dentists when it's successive governments who have fucked the profession to death.

In a similar situation OP. DC 6 months overdue and DH and I a year over. Just wondering what the nations teeth will be like in another 6-12 months.

I wouldn't worry. It won't matter if he goes a year. Unless you have any worries of course.

Keep brushing, keep flossing/tepe-ing, don’t snack on sugary stuff and don’t smoke and your teeth and gums will likely be in great shape even without a check up. Dental problems (on the whole!) are entirely preventable so this is your moment people... prevent them and leave us dentists with more time available to then see more of you! Remember, we are only finding problems, we can’t stop them happening, that’s over to you!