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Dental patients urged to 'compare the market'

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Patients have been urged to 'compare the market' before they choose a dentist, under a new online government initiative to put the customer in the boss's seat.

The 'dentist comparison' website will allow the public to contrast the services offered by local dentists and will feature comments from patients revealing their experiences in the chair.

The information displayed includes:

* Opening times

* How easy it is to get an appointment

* How highly patients would recommend the dental practice

* How well patients felt they were treated by staff

* If patients felt they were involved in decisions about their care.

Mr Burns said: 'The internet has become a two-way street. Rather than just viewing information online, like people did years ago, it's the norm for people to share experiences and leave comments for others to read.

'Businesses have adapted to this powerful development, and the NHS needs to as well. From today, people will be able to directly communicate with NHS dental staff online, giving them a clear picture of the results they are achieving.

'They can use this information to improve their services, and achieve our aim of health outcomes being among the best in the world.'

The website is at www.nhs.uk/dentalservices and promises to offer information on England's 22,000 NHS dentists on a single page, to avoid patients 'having to search multiple sources'.

Mr Burns said patients can already rate services at hospitals and GP practices online and a similar service, allowing parents-to-be to compare maternity services was launched earlier this month.

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Sort of like 'Trip Adviser', then? Now, far from me to be an old cynic.... ;-) ..... but there is just a sneaky suspicion that all the entries on such websites are not all from 'real' service users. Eg, night desk staff at a hotel might be 'encouraged' to get off Facebook and spend time clocking up lots of positive feedback. Not that anyone would ever do anything like this in our profession, of course (cough, cough).
Patients come to see us because their friends/relations (ie people they trust, not some numpty on the web.....oh, er....but you get my drift!) recommend us. Something the monolithic NHS would hardly understand. They never have, and never will. They assume patients choose dentists like they trawl e-Bay for bargains. Which is yet another reason I'm very glad to have almost nothing to do with the NHS any more.

Posted by docholliday 23/12/10 at 09:28

This shows the complete lack of understanding of health care in gereneral. However as a populist move by the morons (read politicians) it is understandable.

Posted by Frasse 23/12/10 at 14:36

This shows the complete lack of understanding of health care in gereneral. However as a populist move by the morons (read politicians) it is understandable.

Posted by Frasse 23/12/10 at 14:36

Can you imagine a page with information on 22000 dentists? I wonder what that will look like? As 'docholliday' points out, the reviews will of course be a highly reliable source of useful information on how good the dental service is. No doubt a large team of moderators will be required at a salary twice that paid to DCP's to keep the site in order. Yet more admin, yet another reduction in clinical work.

Posted by edwardmk 19/1/11 at 21:24