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Neel Kothari questions whether teledentistry is taking advantage of the dental profession in the UK. Recently there has been a growth in companies offering orthodontic treatment directly to patients, bypassing the need to see a dentist or an orthodontist. The online marketing from these companies seem to follow a common theme. The patient fills out…
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Is referring for NHS care unnecessarily complicated and problematic, Neel Kothari questions. Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a gradual creep towards referring for NHS care via online platforms. The process varies regionally, but increasingly involves referring for NHS care to a nameless, faceless and often difficult to contact central team instead of a…
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With an environmental crisis on the horizon, is it time our regulators changed too, Neel Kothari asks. The influential economist, John Maynard Keynes, was asked by a journalist why he had changed his mind over the years, to which he reportedly replied: ‘When the facts change, I change my mind, what do you do, sir?’ When…
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Neel Kothari is unconvinced by the CQC’s explanation for its fee rise for the dental sector and suggests industry leaders should challenge it The news that Care Quality Commission (CQC) fees for the dental sector are to rise by 13% has been met with dismay by industry heads, with dental leaders uniting to overwhelmingly condemn…
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The dental profession needs to robustly challenge the CQC for its fee rise rather than just be seen as a ‘golden goose’, Neel Kothari says. The recent news that Care Quality Commission (CQC) fees for the dental sector are to rise by 13% has been met with dismay by industry leaders with dental leaders uniting to overwhelmingly condemn…
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After shutting Gatwick, Neel Kothari questions whether the GDC should be following the lead set by the aviation industry. Let me start by expressing a view that may not be universally shared: well done to the staff at Gatwick airport who, just before Christmas, decisively acted to shut down a major airport when faced with…
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Maybe we should start finding out how to make the current contract work, rather than piloting a new system, Neel Kothari argues. As we approach another Christmas, many of us have become tired of asking when the new dental contract will come into place. I’ve lost count of the number of times promises were made…
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Current inquiries into indemnity cover may have far-reaching effects on dental indemnity, Neel Kothari says. Recently NHS England informed dentists of a contract variation to the NHS dental contract. Variations are needed from time to time to keep up with matters like legislative changes, but these documents tend to be a laborious read and are often…
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Could the phasing out of amalgam force some dentists into ‘unethically’ claiming more UDAs, Neel Kothari questions. For years NHS dentistry has been founded on the principle that patients should be afforded functional restorations and that taxpayers ought not to contribute towards cosmetic enhancements. Like all rules this is frequently broken, but the standard bearer…
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The dental industry needs to ask itself whether it’s time to stop using single-use plastics, Neel Kothari says. For some time now, the dental profession has tacitly accepted that single-use plastic items are superior to their reusable counterparts, despite the logical inconsistency that at the point of use, reusable and autoclavable items have been through…
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It won’t be long before we see queues outside dental practices again, Neel Kothari says. Over the last decade dental corporates have seen a meteoric rise, acquiring practices in a way that I can only describe as a cross between the games Monopoly and Hungry Hungry Hippos. This model is driven by the equity markets…
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Dentists should be involved in the argument over the employment status of associates, Neel Kothari says. By now some of you may be aware of reports that HMRC has recently written to several dental associates indicating that they are reviewing their employment status. The initial responses from dental associations and accountancy groups has been one of…
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The current ambiguous NHS system leaves ethically-minded dentists carrying the burden, Neel Kothari argues. One of the most debated topics in NHS dentistry is exactly what’s included within NHS dentistry. Unfortunately, getting dentists to agree about how a legally ambiguous system should be interpreted is an unlikely prospect, leading many to treatment plan out of…
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Neel Kothari says the way the Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba case was handled is worrying for all those working in healthcare. By now many of you may have heard of Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba, who was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter (GNM) in 2015 over her involvement in the death from sepsis of a six-year-old boy, Jack Adcock.…
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The ambiguous wording of the NHS contract could leave many dentists underclaiming to err on the side of caution, Neel Kothari says. Over the past few years many, including myself, have highlighted the disgraceful situation where some dentists have been able to claim ludicrously high UDA amounts without raising alarm bells. However, what seems immensely underreported…
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The profession needs more education on the rights of associates, particularly when it comes to maternity and paternity rights, Neel Kothari says. A while back I came across an interesting debate on social media regarding an associate who was unsure of her working rights during maternity. As the thread went on it became clear that…
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The presence of workplace bullying may be more prevalent than you realise, Neel Kothari says. Surprisingly, bullying itself isn’t against the law, but harassment is outlawed under the Equality Act 2010. Over the years I have come across a number of incidences of bullying and harassment in dentistry that have left many in despair. The Workplace…
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The rising cost of dental indemnity is unsustainable, Neel Kothari argues. There are a few things that I really don’t understand – the first is how the footballer Neymar is worth £200 million, the second is why no-one ever vets Donald Trump’s tweets and finally how dental indemnity costs are calculated. As a general dentist…
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Have corporate chains finally maximised profits from NHS dentistry, asks Neel Kothari. Recently one of the largest corporate chains (I won’t say which one, but I’m sure many of you can guess) stopped purchasing new dental practices, allegedly as a result of facing large clawback amounts for underperformed UDAs. For years, the equity market driven…
