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?

I’ll ask. He definitely said that it was something about him having to book it in for 2 separate appointment (rules changing, y’know, Covid) and the private filling would be in and out in one session. I wouldn’t want to wait as DH had a crown recently and had to wait months because shutdown happened right after he had the temp fitted and it was months before he got the permanent one put in place.

We have worked our way through the backlog of patients whose treatment appoints were cancelled due to lockdown and are now able to see routine check ups. However this week has been very stressful. Firstly, seeing check ups means a greater number of patients coming through the door at the same time, so we can only have two dentists working at the same time. We have five surgeries and 3 waiting areas but at times it’s been like a complex game of chess for reception , ensuring that patients are socially distanced and following the one way system, discouraging them from using the loo, and answering the many questions and complaints. We have cautiously tried to see more check ups but have realised it is a logistic nightmare to comply with our Standard operating procedures enforced by NHS.
We are not back to normal and it will be months before we will be.
Patients seem incapable of self risk assessment. We are seeing a disproportionate number of vulnerable patients because, as a result of shielding they don’t seem to see the problem. Our younger patients are far more cautious.
Fortunately we have an online triaging system that alerts us to vulnerable and possible Covid high risk patients. But we are constantly aware that should a patient or a member of staff develop Covid symptoms, track and test will close us down. Fortunately we are in an area where Covid is quite low.
So please be patient with us. We don’t want to be held responsible for anyone contracting Covid as a result of our actions. So at the moment we cannot see as many people. We have to prioritise patients who are in pain or have an urgent problem.
I have hit a wall this week, I just want to get back to normal, to provide the treatment people require without having to micro plan around available PPE, available surgery and equipment. We have always been good at infection control but the sheer volume of paperwork and risk assessment needed for each patient with regard to Covid, then explaining to bewildered patients your decision and then recording it, is soul destroying.

Angrymum22
Thank you thank you thank you
🙏💙

She doesn't need a checkup if she had one in January surely?

Once every year to two years was what I've always had (since I was a child). Never had a cavity...