To appeal being thrown off the dentist nhs register

[Redgreenred10]

Been with my dentist 30 years. This afternoon I had an appointment and this morning I tested positive for covid. Now I know you don’t have to test anymore but my best friends daughter has complex disabilities and covid could be fatal so my best friend has provided her family and friends with covid test and just asks if we can a quick test before we come round. I was due to go round after the dentist.

now the dentist is still really anal re covid and a few days before sent me a questionnaire asking if I had any symptoms and if I did my appointment would have to be cancelled.

So after testing positive i rang the dentist 6 times and could not get through so I left a message explaining.

I have just received a message saying due to missing my appointment I am now removed from the NHS register. Basically for following their own guidelines. I have tried to ring again (can’t get through) so I have sent an email.

trying to get through to the dentist is a nightmare. You are are kept on hold for 1
minute and then you are passed through to the message service. I rang 6 times before leaving a message so I really tried to get in touch

Definitely appeal! You've been with them 30 years, its disgusting that there isn't someone who could apply a common sense approach to this before it got to this stage x

I've had to appeal before, as I was really poorly and couldn't attend. Now I get so stressed about missing any appointments, they're sick of me calling them to make sure I'm not due a checkup 😅

That's awful. Definitely appeal.

I feel I could not do right for doing wrong as if I had turned up with covid and told them then I would have been told off

Appeal and provide them with a screenshot of your phone log.

WAs it just the one missed appointment? That sounds very harsh.

Unfortunately I rang on the house phone so no call log

Do you have any symptoms?

You should certainly ask and I don't think you have done anything wrong, but they are a business and can choose who to treat for whatever reason

Yep I did miss an appointment about 3 years ago when I was rushed into hospital and I had to go through the same again as they removed me

Do you have a history of missing appointments or causing other issues? It seems unlikely that they would remove you from their register if this is the first time.

3 years ago after being rushed into hospital with a suspected stroke.

And my husband did let them know it was just not in the 48 hours notice they ask for

Hmm, you do seem to have a dramatic life. I suspect you are not telling the whole truth about your history with this dental surgery.

@Pickandmixmood what??? Being rushed to hospital with a suspected stroke and missing an appointment due to covid (despite calling repeatedly to tell them) is not having a dramatic life! 🙄

So having a suspected stroke 3 years ago and testing positive for covid today gives me a dramatic life. So what might be the rest of the truth I am missing?? Oh yeah forgot i once walked in the surgery drunk and abused all the staff while wearing a I hate dentist hat.

Hmm, you do seem to have a dramatic life. I suspect you are not telling the whole truth about your history with this dental surgery.

That's a crazy response.

YANBU to appeal.
YABU to describe your dentist as "really anal re covid."

😂

Don't dare to have a stroke and get covid (something which presumably most people have had at some point now) otherwise some total fantasist on MN will decide you are lying about your overly dramatic dentist antics.

Sorry I should not have described them as anal. I understand why but they need to realised sometimes you cant give 24 hours of covid or covid symptoms

good luck.

My dentist cancelled my appointments due to pandemic, wouldnt make new appointments/reschedule after pandemic. Eventually I went in there and was told I was taken of the NHS list as I didn't have an appointment for 2 years - due to the pandemic & them not making appointments.

I think dentists are looking for any reason however spurious, to shed NHS clients.

Go private. You get to see a dentist in a reasonable amount of time, and the service is better.

Oh yeah I do have a history with this dentist I forgot I once cried in the dentist chair when I was 6 and again when I was 7. You are right they should have struck me off the list.

If you can use your call log to demonstrate that you tried to phone to cancel, then appeal. When did you last attend the dentist? Many practices now have a policy that NHS patients must attend for a check up every six months or they’ll remove you from the list.

ByHardyRubyEagle
does it not cost I lot more. I am willing to pay a bit more

I’m not wealthy, not by a long shot, and having moved around a few times I didn’t retain my childhood NHS dentist. I looked at Denplan and now pay £15 per month, and given that I needed dental treatment I kind of had to do it. Once I got over the initial annoyance at there being no NHS dentists taking on new patients in my area, it became clear that it was the only option, but I like my dentist, I can see them regularly, and are friendly. The only thing that I really resent is that my child doesn’t get free dental care, which is absurd.