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!

Actually if you are not under a course of treatment a dentist doing NHS work can refuse to see you.

The problem is what the NHS pays will not cover the cost of providing care when in a cheap area of the country to run one room in a surgery will cost £140 an hour . The only money a practice gets to cover all costs (staff, training, materials, buildings , training, it, equipment , compliance etc etc etc ) is what is paid for treatment when a patient is in the chair. Most practices only stay open because they subsidise the costs with income from private work.

Op no one is judging you for not going to the dentist! However your excuses don't make sense - of course you knew that dentists were open as you've been attending the hygienist and taking the DC to the dentist. You had time for that so could have easily had your appt at the same time as DC. You need to own up to your mistake instead of making excuses!

Pretty standard if you haven’t had a check up for years…

This is NOT a thing. There is no registration in NHS dentistry, it’s not like your GP. You are a patient for as long as you are getting treatment identified in your check up. Anyway, I heard on the news last week that the Gvt are now paying dentists a bonus to see people like you OP, I’m sure that your dentist may now be happy to see you 😶 kerching kerching

But she's not getting treatment as she's not had a checkup?

Actually not kerching , kerching as the money will not be available to all dentists and with it costing at least £140 an hour to run a room in a dental practice an extra £15 to £50 to treat a high needs patient who needs multiple appointments it won't even begin to scratch to surface of costs .

To put it into context , before tax, insurance , indemnity , registration costs etc etc a dentist will earn an extra £5 to £17 or less for taking on a patient who may well need hours of treatment.

There are many NHS treatments already in which a dentist loses money ..... root treatment, dentures , multiple fillings . A single file to do root treatment costs £30 on its own . This extra money won't even cover the cost of dental inflation which is running at 10 to 15% a year .

to be fair it may have been at the bottom of your list but its at the top of other peoples lists who don't have a dentist because they cant get one, these dentists need to be booked up and people are always just keeping they're spot on the list without actually ever going in meaning they are losing out on that money from a client, and whilst someone may be in agony they cant get seen because someone else has had it at the bottom of they're list for the last 4 years

Where did you grow up OP? Its interesting to hear how dental provision works else where so as to compare where we stand at home? Assume Europe somewhere that assures more secure access to state funded or subsidised dental care? (Genuine question, not goading)

Where I live all dentists are now private, we’ve not got 1 NHS dentists in the area!

Pretty much what the ones around here do..if you don't go for checkups, you get struck off with no warning.

Instead of looking for a loophole, you probably should put the effort into finding a dentist OP.

I am obsessive about keeping my nhs dentist. They stopped sending reminders years ago saying they weren't obliged to (I bet their private patients get reminders). To get round this I book my next appointment while I'm still there.
I've drilled in to DC that they must keep up to date with dentists and though they have moved away they come home for dental appointments. Many of their friends have lost access to dentists.

Wouldn't it be simpler to just go

I make my next appointment while I'm there after checkup. They're every 9 months now but they send reminders when it's due. They wouldn't send reminders to make an appointment.

Private patients get reminders because a dental practice can add the considerable cost onto the cost of treatment. Just the licence for the software is around £500 a month plus the cost of texts etc

NHS pays so little whatever is not essential is stripped out, otherwise a practice would lose more money than they already do on NHS treatment.

People aren't "judging you" for not going. People are answering the question you asked, about if YABU to blame the dentist for it. Which you are.

My dentist was also only taking emergency appointments and didn't let any of their patients know when they reopened.

..........but yet you managed to work out they were open in order to take your dc

You don't have a leg to stand on, if you've actually been in there, taking your dc every 6 months. On any one of those days you could have said "I should book myself whilst I'm here".

There is, I'm registered at mine

It can't be cheaper to drive 200 miles to see an nhs dentist than to see a private one nearby. I pay about 45 for a checkup with a private one so it is 20 pounds more than NHS. Driving 200 miles costs more than 20 pounds.

In England and Wales there is no registration for NHS dental practices. They are only obliged to see you during a course of treatment.

Scotland and NI do have NHS dental registration.

Practices in England and Wales try to maintain a patient list but registration was abolished in 2006.

As someone who avoided dentists from 16-26, due to an absolute horror, they'll see you 6 monthly if you have shit teeth. My appointment was due 1st April 2020, got cancelled obviously, know what I did? Called them a year later to see what was happening. Been 3 times since original lockdown.

When I was waiting the other day they were phoning folks from two years ago, if they're on a private list elsewhere in the mean time then tough titties was the response.

But then I spent 3k+ on an implant and fixing other work, I care about my teeth now more than I care about the fear.

I know it feel like that. But you're not 'registered'. This does not exist in the way you think it does. I'm a dentist an whilst I don't work in NHS practice, that is not how it works.

"Unlike GP practices, there is no such thing as registration and being a patient of a dental practice providing NHS care. A patient is only ‘registered’ with practice while undergoing treatment. Of course, practices have loyal patients who become regulars of the practice and the practice sees them as such"

You can choose to believe me, or not. It doesn't chance the facts of the NHS dental contact. Sorry.

This is not an 'NHS rule' - that's bullshit. It's a rule made up by dental practices.

However, they are perfectly entitled to kick you off the list. You don't have right to see an NHS dentist in the same way that you do a GP.

You'll have to suck it up and go private I'm afraid

No. Because nobody is registered. I'll go blue in the face saying this 😂

The same thing happened to my 15 year old son..... they dumped him off the list. They then said they were taking on NHS patients but refused him!!!! Never had any reminders either 😳😳 managed to get him into another dentist and they could not be more helpful. Send a reminder about his appointment a month in advance and a text message 48 hours before the appointment.

Do so many of you a) not have a diary and b) need walking to your appointments?

I admit that my dentist is private and has been for many, many years (when they made the change from NHS to private, I just went with it) but surely most people have check ups every six to twelve months? So not going for two years is potentially missing up to four routine appointments?