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!

There is no longer such a think as being 'registered' at an NHS dentist. There hasn't been for a long time. You are a patient for a course of treatment only. They are not required to see you thereafter.

They can't keep everyone on though.

What if you've moved and use another?

Ideally they should tell people this before though.

Covid is irrelevant. We were all in the same boat.

I had the same dentist for 32 years until they closed and passed us onto someone new. I've been with them ever since (7 years). Me and the kids go twice a year.

My DH joined the military age 18 and he retires this year after 22 years. They have a dentist on camp which he can just walk into to. No payment.

I put him on our dentist waiting list in 2020 and I've emailed every year since to check he's still on the list.

They are ultimately a private business and while they can choose to see NHS patients they probably prefer private. It's probably not cost effective to see people who rarely attend.

As a private business they can choose their customers so don't see the point in complaining. It may be worth asking nicely if you can go on their list though.

I think that texting and posting reminders costs money so it’s understandable that it’s scaled back.

The break during covid didn’t even last three months so you were unfortunate that your appointment was during this timeframe but it was widespread in the media when patients could return from early June 2020.

I think that even if you had gone to that appointment, it was almost four years ago and you still would have been removed from their system.

I got kicked off my private dentist list as I didn’t go for 2 years and 3 months during covid when their website had a “only come in emergencies” message. Totally bonkers - the other 4 (dh and 3dc all went but my teeth were fine). Dc now dropped because they’ve stopped doing nhs. Only option is a private family dental plan.

I should add that your current practice is almost certainly not going to see you as an NHS patient. You may find being accepted as an NHS patient locally very difficult and it might be time to either consider private dental insurance or signing up to a dental plan that covers some or all of your care for a fixed monthly cost (not withstanding any treatment required to get you dentally fit). I should add, I'm a dentist, if that adds any weight to my opinion. I'm sorry your're in this position but I'd take it up with your MP rather than the dentist themselves.

It’s your fault @Collienova. You have to suck it up. It’s how it goes if you don’t make an appointment. I left the UK 6 years ago and this was the rule at my surgery even then. You can’t complain without making yourself look silly. And nor should you.

Stop blaming the dentist, you managed to book your kids in so you should have managed to book yourself in too. You had literally years. There are lots of people on the waiting lists and this is well known.

Yabu

Most people are struggling to access NHS dentistry. If you’re not going to go, why should they keep you on when other people are desperate for your spot?

You can craft an email if you want but it’s a pointless, entitled, waste of your time.

The onus is on you to book an appointment, not to be in a situation where you are reminded by the dentist. If you've been taking your kids, you've had multiple opportunities to book your own appointment. 2020 was 4 years ago, they can't wait forever when there's such a demand for appointments!

I have to drive a 200 mile round trip to see my dentist. Where I live, there aren't any NHS dentists, and I just can't afford to pay to go private. Although its not ideal and going for a routine checkup now takes up around 6 hours of my day instead of 20 mins if I could go to a dentist in my own town I still go for regular appointments as I'm frightened of losing my NHS place. So, in reply to your question, I don't think you will get anywhere by complaining, NHS places are rarer than hens teeth - pardon the pun!

Even if you'd gone on 2020 it would still be 3-4 years. The cutoff is 2 years. Some people can't get a space at all and you had one and didn't use it. It's better to give it to a person who makes use of it.

Our NHS dentist also kicks patients off the list if they haven’t attended for 2 years.

They didn’t include non-attendance during Covid closures towards that 2 years - so e.g someone who’d had their last checkup 18 months before the Covid closures would have had another 6 months after they reopened for adult checkups before being kicked off their lists.
But if i remember right my dentist resumed routine adult checkups around June or July 2022 so that’s more than 18 months ago now. And we didn’t get any reminders about booking appointments when they resumed adult appointments either.

They did however keep on doing children’s checkups every 6 months as soon as Covid restrictions allowed, and every time I took the DC there for checkups I asked for an update on whether they’d started doing adult appointments yet. Which is something that you could easily have done when you were taking your DC for their appointments.

I can’t see you getting very far with a complaint about being removed as a patient given that you’ve left it so long to try and book an appointment, and unfortunately I think you’ll struggle to get back in as an NHS patient given the dentist shortages in most of the U.K.

You're bloody cheeky even considering complaining OP.

Most people are DESPERATE to get an NHS dentist.

You have responsibility for your YOURSELF.

Just why do you think it's their problem because they cancelled an appointment 4 years ago?! It's NOT their responsibility you've "put it to the bottom of your to do list" for FOUR years.

What is wrong with everyone on here lately taking zero responsibility for themselves. It gives me the absolute rage.

It is your responsibility to make appointments.

No judgement as I am now private because of my error.

Dentists offering NHS patients are telling people to come back in 6 months time to see if they have spaces.

I did email practice manager but was told similar to you especially as my children had still been going every 6 months (apart from covid)

I've just sucked it up as it's my fault and I have to own it. No one else to blame than myself.

I am taking responsibility for myself (and for a whole load of vulnerable people I care for). I would expect a fair notice what the rules were and none of my documentation contains that. I was on 2 year checkups and was attending hygienist appointments. I do dc by 'neglect' my oral care and now expect a whole load of treatment on the nhs. I have anxiety about seeing the dentist (which my practice was aware of). They used to send reminders and then stopped. Mumsnet clearly decided Im being unreasonable. Thanks for all the helpful responses. Hope the judgies never find that they messed up.

Nobody is judging you for messing up. They are judging you for thinking that it's the dentist's problem to fix your mistake. It isn't.

But what if you hadn't contacted them? Would you seriously have expected them to keep you on indefinitely? Come on OP.

Don't be so touchy. You asked if you were being unreasonable and everyone agreed that yes - you are!

Yes, I genuinely thought that's how it works! As with your GP surgery. I registered with the practice and I would remain on their patient list. Clearly a naive thought. I didn't grow up in the UK and the system here still manages to baffle me 🤷‍♂️

If you look at NHs dental information it clearly says that dental surgeries are not compelled to offer you an appointment

"Once you find a dental surgery, you may have to fill in a registration form at your first visit, which is just to add you to their patient database. But that does not mean you have guaranteed access to an NHS dental appointment in the future"

from

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/

They could well be drastically reducing the scope of NHS services they offer. Basically trying to phase it out kind of thing. So if anyone fails to show for 18 months, then they are out. That place is now effectively redundant so no longer exists for you to re-join. The dentists are making this choice as they presumably make so much more money with private patients. They cannot refuse you as an NHS patient (once you actually are one) any other way really, so they just hope a bunch of people don't come so they can be off the books! I think that's the case for nearly all NHS dentists now. I got chucked out of 2 practices, even though I had regularly attended, just because they discontinued the NHS service entirely.

No one is a “judgie”. You cocked up and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all make mistakes. But it’s you kicking off at the dentist and acting like you’ve been wronged when it’s your mistake. Own your mistake and the consequences of your actions.

Completely your fault. You’ve left it too late. It’s not the dentist’s responsibility to reminder prompt you, you are an adult and responsible for your own appointments. It’s standard that you get removed if you don’t have regular check ups, tbh I thought it was less than two years so no excuse!

I think that part of the reason that dentists these days don’t keep patients on their list indefinitely is down to the severe shortage of NHS dentists.

There's been plenty of talk about this in the news etc and it’s a problem that’s been growing for well over a decade.

But the result is that the remaining NHS dental practices will almost certainly all have massive waiting lists - my (NHS) dentist has closed its waiting list as it’s grown so long - so most NHS dentists now will take inactive patients off their books to make room for one of the many, many patients on the waiting list.