Are dentists allowed to do this?

[flavoprot]

Hi,

Would be grateful if anyone who knows about this stuff could please advise:

I am registered with a dentist as an NHS patient and require a wisdom tooth extraction as essential work.

They have refused to do this on the NHS with the explanation that they are ‘at capacity’, but have given me a quote to do it privately.

Is this against the rules?

Many thanks! :)

Simply say you can't afford it and ask why you can't be referred for it. Tell them you are happy to wait for an NHS appointment.

Unless the extraction is complicated enough to warrant referral it will not be accepted by the electronic system.
If the practice has not got capacity it could be 6 months or more , if ever , before they could offer an appointment.

Not NHS and have been waiting 4 months for a hygienist appointment booked for the First Friday in January, it's ridiculous and costs £90.00 paid in advance in September

We have an nhs dentist but still can’t see them at the moment as they are at their nhs capacity…highly frustrating when they are advertising at the same time for private patients. We are all stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

Unfortunately dentists are given a fixed contract each year and can do no more or less work than that contract. If they do more work they are financially penalised and actually pay to work on patients! If they do less they have to pay back money.
In order that they don't do all the work in , say , 10 months they have to book out only so many hours each week for NHS work. Say for arguments sake 80%. That leaves 20% each week for private appointments which can't be used for NHS work. That is why they can be at capacity for NHS work but still have space for private patients.
In reality NHS work is so poorly paid most practices will do a substantial percentage of private work which subsidises NHS work.

In our dentist one dentist is nhs and the other went private overnight. Half my family have to travel elsewhere for a dentist.

NHS General dentistry contract, T & C s are absurd and unworkable. Lollygaggle has it all spot on.
Please take it up with your local MP OP, there is zilch your NHS dentist can do about it.