Dentist removing me as NHS patient?

[Collienova]

Are there any dentists or dental practice managers that could advise on whether I'm being unreasonable here please?

Backstory...sorry it's a longer one but I'm trying not to drip feed.
I have a certain apprehension about going to the dentist (probably from childhood), but I have been trying to get better. Anyway, I had the last proper checkup in 2018 and was due one in 2020 which was cancelled by the practice due to Covid restrictions. I have been seeing a hygienist at this practise and then at a different private one as I didn't get on with the hygienist at the one this relates to. I have been taking my children every 6 months and at the last visit this week, I thought I'd better get over my fear and make another appointment. There have been no reminders or any communication by the practice about a check up being due or anything else. I was at that point informed that I would have to go private as I haven't been for a check up in 2 years and there is an apparent rule set by the NHS that you have to go every 2 years or they strike you off the NHS patient list. When I queried that they hadn't sent me any reminders or given me notice of any sort they stated that reminders are a goodwill gesture and that it's my responsibility.

I don't have a problem taking that responsibility, but my issue is that I can't find anything on the practice website, their Facebook page, the NHS website or my local ICHB website about this 2 year rule? I'm happy to stick to that, but they're refusing to reinstate me saying that they would lose their NHS contract if they do? I have to doubt that as a friend of mine had the same situation and she managed to speak to the practice manager at the time and was reinstated when she complained. I asked for the practice manager, but I was told I have to complain by email and they would get back to me within 28 days.

Could anyone shed any light on the rules here so I can craft a meaningful email please? I know I should've gone earlier, but i think it's not right to strike someone off the patient list without letting them know what the rules are and without giving them any notice? many thanks in advance!

I think most dentists do this? Are you happy to share which dentist it is?

I’m afraid it is true I thought it was 18 months.Our NHS dentist is now private for adults and will see children if already registered.Are they still accepting NHS patients if so you need to go on the waiting list.

I can see both sides.
Yes, it would be helpful of them to have reminded you (as our dentist has done for my adult dc)
But also, it is a reasonable expectation to attend anywhere / anything that you want to keep a place at, when you must be aware (from news / social media) there is a real shortage of places.

Yes this is a thing and was told this years before covid.

My dentist did this after Covid. I found a private dentist elsewhere.

Same at my dentist (I'm private anyway) and a friend had the same issue. Think it's 18 months here.

When you signed up to the practice did you get any paper work or similar? Or on any past visits have you done a form at all?

Tbh it's 6 years since you had a check up if 2018 was the last one - there's probably a small amount of goodwill leniency they might apply in some cases but imo you might be way over their cut off point. They only have limited NHS slots and that slot will have been better used by someone else in their eyes.

The dentists HAD to cancel appointments during COVID.

If all dental practices had to then contact all their patients, it would take forever, so it was up to the patient to rearrange their dentist appointments.

You've clearly done this for the kids, but not yourself, so as the 2 years have now passed then you lost your NHS space.

I understand that shortage of NHS places for adults, but if they hadn't cancelled my check up in 2020 it wouldn't be 6 years. I'm really trying to verify the argument that they would lose their NHS contract if they reinstated me? How can that be true if they reinstated someone else at the same practice in the same situation? Could anyone shed any light on this?

but if they hadn't cancelled my check up in 2020 it wouldn't be 6 years

Yes, but it's still 3 years. That's a long time to go without arranging a check up.

There will be a LONG queue of those waiting for an NHS dentist, so the place would have been offered to the next person on the list.

You can go on the waiting list again, but at the end. If they offered you an NHS place again it would be queue jumping so against their policy and unfair on all those waiting patiently.

I understand that shortage of NHS places for adults, but if they hadn't cancelled my check up in 2020 it wouldn't be 6 years.

That's not really relevant - 2020 was four years ago now, you've had plenty of time to re-book an appointment.

I doubt your e-mail will get you anywhere, tbh, especially as you've been taking your kids but haven't bothered to book for yourself.

I am fortunate to have a NHS dentist and have a 6 monthly check up that I r book when i am leaving an appointment

Same at my dentist.

If you miss an annual check up, they can remove you
If you cancel two appts or don't show up they can remove you.
If you are more than 5 minutes late, that constitutes a no-show.

I have nhs care and am obsessive in making sure I'm there as stipulated. 😐

I did get away with forgetting an appt once but when I rebooked I took 9 day old ds with me to show that I really had been otherwise detained (in labour) and forgetting to call them was not unreasonable. They were too busy cooing to ban me.

Yes, I knew this was a thing, I've been with the same dentist my whole life, visited every 6 months. My brother got thrown off the list because he didn't contact them when they reopened after Covid, it pushed him to 2 years without an appointment.

But you didn’t book another appointment, so it’s been 3-4 years since that cancelled appointment?

My dentist tried to do this to me. Last check up was 2019, during Covid they text to say they weren’t offering routine appointments only emergency ones and they would contact you when they started offering routine ones again. They never contacted me so last year I contacted them to make an appointment and they said that I’d been taken off the list. I was fuming, I was also pregnant at the time and called numerous times to complain and speak to the manager who eventually added me back on.

Thanks Luxell934. My dentist was also only taking emergency appointments and didn't let any of their patients know when they reopened. They didn't post on their website or Facebook page which they keep referring me to. I don't buy that they can't text their patients to remind them, their system is perfectly capable of handling that without much extra human input. Tbh, yes, I should have rebooked, but it's been at the bottom of my list as I worked all hours under eye sun during Covid and after and have just managed to keep up with hygienist appointments. I will be complaining, we'll see how it goes.

My dentist is good but we don't get reminders at all. Don't think I've had that for years. We get removed if we don't go for 2 years but I thought that was quite lenient. I had one before where it was 1 year I think. I just remember to book each Christmas and Summer for all of us.
I booked an appointment as soon as I'd had my first covid jab as I felt that would give me some protection. The staff had all been jabbed by then too.

I'm very paranoid about losing my nhs dentist so make sure I attend every six months. During covid when appointments got cancelled I just kept rebooking until they finally re opened. I know for a fact I can't afford private dental fees so need my NHS dentist so ensure I am always up to date and prioritise it.

In your case I think it is probably your misjudgement that has contributed to losing your space by not keeping in touch. If you've made appointments with hygienist it would have been easy to book with dentist around same time too

In England there is no such thing as registration with a dentist. They only have to see you whilst you are under a course of treatment.

In reality most dentists try to save slots for their regular patients.

NHS dental practices have limited contracts, they are only allowed to do so much work a year, any more than that and not only are they not paid they are financially penalised.

There is no compulsion for a practice to spend yet more money , when practice is very cash strapped , in sending out reminders to people who do not keep regular appointments. The software and costs associated come to many hundreds/thousand a month to send reminders .

Unfortunately there are not enough practices offering NHS appointments so any spare space will quickly get snapped up.

unfortunately you have not made an appointment since before 2020 , the practice does not regard you as a regular patient, it is under no compulsion to see you. In fact once you have completed a course of treatment the practice is under no compulsion to see you as registration has not existed in England since 2006 .

It’s been four years since appointments were cancelled due to covid. You absolutely could have phoned them and made an appointment since.

i dont fancy your chances of getting another nhs dentist. Private might be your best bet.

Why not just Accept you are in the wrong and get another dentist with a plan . Dentists aren't making any money from nhs patients so are doing anything they can to get rid of them .

Tbh, yes, I should have rebooked, but it's been at the bottom of my list as I worked all hours under eye sun during Covid and after and have just managed to keep up with hygienist appointments. I will be complaining, we'll see how it goes.

But you managed to book appointments for your kids

You would probably have been given more time given the pandemic closure but most had reopened by late 2020/2021. Whilst it might have been nice if they had proactively rebooked those who were cancelled there was nothing to stop you doing so when you booked the dc appointments.

You've managed to rebook for your children though so you were fully aware that they'd reopened but you haven't made your own appointments a priority. Yes it may have been at the bottom of your list but unfortunately for you with so few NHS places the person next on the waiting list probably has made it a priority.

Your spot will have been given away, you aren't a regular patient and even prior to covid you weren't. An appointment in 2018 and the next one not booked until 2020 shows you aren't going particularly regularly.

Feel free to complain but now you're not a registered patient I'd be very surprised if something came of it. They won't be allowed to bump you to the top of the waitlist.