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Nigel Jones weighs up the pros and cons of the recently announced dental recovery plan – does it represent real reform or an attempt by the government to appear in control? The publication of the government’s dental recovery plan (DRP) has at least sparked off considerable debate about how NHS dentistry in England got into…
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Christie & Co associate director Steve O’Connor speaks to Practice Plan’s Nigel Jones about the varied picture of the practice sales market in 2023. To borrow a football analogy, last year was a year of two halves for the practice sales market. After a slow first half of 2023, there was an uptick in activity and…
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What does the future have in store for private dentistry? Nigel Jones considers recent trends and changes in UK dentistry to answer the question of what comes next. I feel obliged to state that these observations are entirely my own. No crystal balls or runes were consulted in the writing of this piece. It goes…
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‘Not just a rollercoaster year, this time it’s Blackpool’s The Big One!’ – Practice Plan’s Nigel Jones and BDA chair Eddie Crouch reflect on the events of 2023. Highs and lows Eddie Crouch (EC): There were some real highs this year followed very shortly afterwards by some significant lows. We fought long and hard to…
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Addressing the barriers to patient attendance while encouraging the continued attendance of those already engaged in their own oral health should be a priority, says Nigel Jones. Reports from the Health Service Journal (HSJ) suggest that the oft referenced ring-fencing of dental budgets within the wider financial resources available to the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)…
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Nigel Jones wonders what the future holds for NHS dental contract reform – are we soon to see an NHS recovery plan? As the Parliamentary summer recess comes to a close, the debates about future NHS dental contractual arrangements in England are certain to resume in earnest. And, if they haven’t already, should result in some…
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‘They are in for a rude awakening’ – Nigel Jones shares his thoughts on the NHS Dentistry Select Committee Report. As expected, the report arising from the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry has reconfirmed the diagnosis of the problems facing NHS dentistry in England. This gives an indication of the scale of the challenge. Given…
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Nigel Jones discusses a well-known prioritisation metaphor – find out if you need to get your own rocks in order. Although it came out a couple of years ago, I’ve only just discovered the book 4000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. What a thought provoking read it is proving to be! Subtitled ‘Time management for mortals’,…
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Nigel Jones considers the many options available in dentistry right now, and why investing some time and energy can get you on the right path to a successful and happy career. There was a sobering contribution to the recent BAPD webinar in which I was lucky enough to be a panellist. It came from a…
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Is there a future for NHS dentistry? Practice Plan’s sales and marketing director, Nigel Jones, offers his views following the recent Parliamentary Select Committee hearings. The Health and Social Care Select Committee hearings have, once again, thrown the spotlight on the state of NHS dentistry. This was prompted, in part, by the findings of the…
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Nigel Jones considers how more practices are viewing a departure from the NHS as a form of protest against what is happening to NHS dentistry. As someone who has spent three decades attending dental events, I can safely say it’s not often I have found myself discussing celestial mechanics with one of the delegates. And…
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In a recent Practice Plan webinar, sales and marketing director, Nigel Jones, spoke to chair of the BDA, Eddie Crouch, about his hopes for NHS dentistry in 2023. It’s a new year and we’ve got a new inquiry, Eddie. And I wonder whether that means there’s new hope for NHS dentistry. So, how optimistic are…
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During Practice Plan’s recent webinar, sales and marketing director, Nigel Jones, spoke to BDA chair, Eddie Crouch to get his views on NHS dentistry and its future. We have a fundamental problem of an ageing population that will have increasing health needs. We are going to have a lot more retired people and fewer taxpayers.…
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With the exodus from the NHS growing momentum, Nigel Jones explains why a move to private dentistry is ‘realistic and achievable’. So, the deadline has passed for contributions to the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into NHS dentistry. Even with the 3000-word limit per submission, I imagine there is a lot to sift through.…
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Nigel Jones considers the word ‘depaysement’ and what this might mean in the context of dentistry. Relatively recently, I’ve come across the French word ‘depaysement’. Given it’s often described as untranslatable, the best I can offer after a few internet searches is to say it is a noun used to describe the weird feeling you…
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As NHS dentists face a difficult winter, Practice Plan sales and marketing director Nigel Jones spoke to BDA chair Eddie Crouch, to get his views on how he feels they will fare. The historian and broadcaster, David Olusoga, said: ‘Whether we like it or not, there are moments in history when pessimism is the appropriate…
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Nigel Jones reflects on popularity of private practice and how it speaks volumes for how much the dental profession is valued. Since relocating to Keswick in the Lake District, I’ve learnt beyond all doubt not to rely on the weather forecast. It’s rarely accurate, although, on the plus side, the weather generally turns out to…
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There is no quick fix for the supply issues we are experiencing – and like it or not, the NHS is not in a strong position when it comes to dentistry, explains Nigel Jones. Back in 1990, when I first started working with the dental profession, dental plans were viewed warily due to the experience…
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Nigel Jones debates the current political climate and why oral health inequality should be a massive concern for us all. Another month and another sign that, if we’ve not already reached it, we are very rapidly approaching the point of no return for comprehensive NHS dentistry available to all. At the beginning of the year…
