A patient plan for the future

Control: Choosing to offer a private alternative or become completely independent, means choosing to be in control, free from the bureaucratic decisions of those in government, the worry of a clawback or, worse, the termination of a contract. Offering a dental plan is an extension of that new found control. 

Financial: Establishing a plan is a win/win – it allows your patients to budget for their dental care but it also provides a regular baseline income, which protects your hourly rates and gives you overall peace of mind.

Delivery of care: Most NHS dentists claim it’s frustrating to be told what type and quality of treatment they can provide to patients. A plan enables you to make a dedicated move towards choosing the type of care that you want to provide and the means to prove the value of attending appointments to your patients.

Balance: Many NHS dentists complain about the number of hours they need to work and the pressure to get patients ‘in and out’. Converting to a plan-based practice helps restore a healthy work/life balance by calculating an appropriate hourly rate, you’re allowing you and your team the time to meet your patients’ and your practice needs. 

Time: Through having a plan, you can choose how long you spend with your patients – extra time is a valuable tool to allow the whole team to get to know patients better, giving them the opportunity to find ways to make them feel special and valued, like answering questions and explaining procedures or simply having a chat.

Sustainability: A dental plan will smooth out the peaks and troughs in the running of a practice and provide the team with a framework to build a business around. A plan can also add value to your practice in the eyes of a potential buyer through sustainable and predictable cash flow supported by a loyal patient base. 

An option for you?

If this is starting to sound like an option for you and your practice, there are also some responsibilities and wider changes to consider…

  • Your practice identity: This can take time to develop, however a plan suited to you and your patients’ needs can enable you to build a positive and long-lasting bond
  • Marketing: Your patients will need to know that you have a plan in place, how it will benefit them, how they can learn more about it/register
  • Training: Your plan needs to be discussed with your patients, therefore, continual training for the whole team is a must to ensure that they feel confident discussing options
  • Administration: Offering a plan includes the process of implementation to do so. Support is available – the key is finding the right people to do this for your practice.

Building a sustainable future

The plan choice that you offer should be one that meets the real needs of all patients and act as an incentive for them to continue to come back time and again. If you can achieve this you will find that you have a profitable and sustainable practice for the future.

Be assured, being independent and/or offering an alternative private choice to your patients doesn’t mean that you ultimately have to do this alone.

If you would like more information about a dedicated support team contact Practice Plan on 01691 684120.

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