Practice Plan area manager Katrina James explains why the conditions in the dental industry are ripe for a move from NHS to private dentistry.
There’s no disputing the fact that handing back all, or most, of an NHS dental contract can be a scary prospect. How will patients react to such a change? Will they remain with the practice in sufficient numbers for it to be viable? Will the team stage a revolt? And will the local media and keyboard warriors rain down fire and brimstone on your head? All are legitimate concerns.
However, the dental landscape has continued to change since the pandemic. So, now converting from NHS to private dentistry no longer carries the same element of risk or worry as it used to.
Here’s why.
Patients will stay with you.
More and more dentists have chosen to prioritise their own wellbeing over the demands of fulfilling a UDA contract and handed back or rebased their contract.
When converting, to be able to offer private patients the extended appointment times they deserve, practices need to see fewer patients. Each NHS conversion will, once they have reached capacity, leave some NHS patients looking for a new dentist.
This means practices in the same area as the newly converted one will have a larger number of patients who may want to join their practice. In turn, this means that there will still be plenty of patients looking for a dentist should they then decide to become a private practice and so on. In short, every dentist who does this makes it easier for subsequent dentists to do the same.
Teams want to change
Dentists aren’t the only ones who want a better work-life balance. Their teams want that too. We have helped quite a number of practices convert from NHS to private where the associates are the ones who are driving the change.
Tired of chasing UDA targets, they have told the practice owner that they want the slower, more relaxed pace of life that private dentistry offers. What’s more, if the owner declines to make the change, then they are prepared to leave.
Sadly, recruitment remains a problem, especially for NHS posts. According to a statement issued by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) following the publication of the Dental Workforce Data earlier this year, there were 2,700 dental vacancies and only around 250 dentists actively looking for work. So, the prospect of having to try to recruit new dentists (and failing) forces the owner’s hand.
ICBs are more open to conversations
It’s important to stress that every health board is different and responds to the idea of rebasing or handing back an NHS contract according to its own individual needs. However, far from the frosty reception that could have been expected in the past when broaching this subject, we’ve noticed a softening of the attitudes of some Health Boards.
Fewer have tried to make life difficult for the practice handing back the contract. This has especially been the case since the end of the pandemic.
Timescales have reduced
In days gone by, at Practice Plan we would have advised that a practice should expect to allow around a year for it to reach its target for patients on plan. The widely publicised issues with patient access now mean that some practices are hitting their required patient numbers in a matter of weeks, rather than months.
A colleague mentioned that one of their practices had gone from having around 440 patients on plan to more than 2,000 in just six months. Growing patient numbers that quickly is now a frequent occurrence.
Online criticism fades
There have been incidents in the past where dental practices have received stinging criticism from the local media and online. However, these appear to be happening less frequently as the media and the general public now appreciate that underinvestment by the government is the root cause of NHS dentistry’s problems. The trope of the ‘greedy dentist’ is used less often these days.
Patients have a greater understanding of the issues facing NHS dentistry. Many dentists report that some patients even express surprise that the practice had not converted sooner! While a converting practice may still be subject to some negative responses, that’s almost inevitable when you make a change. ‘You can please all of the people some of the time…’ and so on. However, as long as the practice team is behind the move (which is essential for a smooth transition) then weathering any potential storms becomes easier.
If you work with an experienced plan provider like Practice Plan (30 years and counting!), then they can help you overcome any lingering misgivings you may have about making the move to private dentistry.
From crunching the numbers to give an idea of how many patients you need to lose (there aren’t enough hours in the day to offer longer appointments to them all!) to helping with a script to counter objections, they’ll be by your side through the whole process. What’s more, they’ll often bring biscuits or lunch to sustain you and your team!
Embracing change
Change of any kind can be scary. It’s understandable to have concerns. However, as mentioned above the conditions for making a move from NHS to private dentistry have possibly never been safer than they are at the moment.
If you’re considering your options away from the NHS and are looking for a plan provider who will hold your hand through the process at a pace that’s right for you, you can start the conversation with Practice Plan today by calling 01691 684165 or to book your one-to-one NHS to private conversation at a date and time that suits you, just visit practiceplan.co.uk/nhsvirtual.
If you’d like to find out more about introducing a plan, and how Practice Plan can help you, visit practiceplan.co.uk/nhs.
This article is sponsored by Practice Plan.
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