burning questions Archives

6 Mar 2020 • Blog, NHS

Your dentistry questions answered: retirement planning

Almost a quarter (24%) of NHS dentists are intending to retire earlier than planned, according to the latest Dentistry Confidence Monitor survey. More than 400 NHS and private dentists took part in the survey in…

9 Sep 2019 • Blog, NHS

Your dentistry questions answered: leaving the NHS

Leaving the NHS is a big change and becoming private, more often than not, feels like so much more than just shifting your business model. I know from years spent talking to dentists that it…

16 Aug 2019 • Practice Management

An ethical selling approach

Running a dental practice presents, for many, a quandary. Managing a business, which you want and need to be successful, with providing a healthcare service to those in need can be an ethical balance. Certainly…

22 Jul 2019 • Blog, Dental Landscape

Your dentistry questions answered: the prototype programme

From April 2020 the new general dental contract for England will begin being rolled out. Several questions remain about how exactly that will happen, one of which is whether practice owners will be able to…

11 Feb 2019 • Blog, NHS

Joe Hendron explains what NHS dentists can expect when the new contract rolls out

Towards the end of 2018, we were told that NHS England are committed to a phased rollout of the new dental contract from April 2020. This declaration of a date comes after years of testing…

16 Jan 2019 • Practice Management, HR & Employment Law

Sarah Buxton explains what you need to consider when an employee is expecting

HR issues are a topic that we get asked about on a fairly regular basis as many practices are keen to ensure they’re abiding by the law. And how best to manage pregnant employees and…

7 Nov 2018 • Practice Management

Thomas Coates discusses your options when buying a practice

Buying a dental practice is one of the biggest decisions you are likely to face in your career. It is not just a significant investment monetarily but also in terms of your time, effort and…

8 Aug 2018 • Practice Management

How do I choose and attract the best buyer for my practice?

Selling a practice can be one of the biggest decisions that you will make in your career and one of the key factors in the decision-making process is selecting who to sell to. Choosing the…

11 Jul 2018 • Blog, NHS

Eddie Crouch shares an insight into why regional differences exist

The details of government and public bodies’ machinations are often convoluted and hard to disentangle for those not directly involved. It can be no less the case when it comes to understanding the decision-making process…

13 Jun 2018 • Practice Management

Chris Barrow talks about how you can increase patient referrals

A personal recommendation is a powerful tool in bringing new patients to your door and a cost-effective way of generating additional income. Most practices know this of course, but many still struggle with how to…

18 Apr 2018 • Blog, NHS

How can dentists balance delivering quality patient care while working in a target orientated system?

I was asked this question by a dentist, and I think it reflects wider concerns among the profession and a feeling they are being asked to perform an increasingly difficult balancing act to achieve conflicting…

17 Aug 2017 • Blog, NHS

Paul Worskett, shares his views on how the issue of patient charge revenue is being addressed in the new contract

Patient charges have risen, but the same cannot be said for contract values. And, alongside the growing gap between UDA values and these charges, it can be a balancing act. Here, we ask Paul Worskett,…

24 Jul 2017 • Blog, NHS

Len D’Cruz’s views on the future for associates within the new NHS contract

The future for the whole profession of dentists working under the reformed contract within the NHS is unclear, but here we look specifically at how associates could be impacted by the changes. Len D’Cruz, whose…

9 Dec 2016 • Dentistry Confidence Monitor

Essential insights into the future of NHS dentistry

At the 2016 BDIA Showcase, Practice Plan was delighted to bring together a number of key opinion leaders for two live events, one to discuss the results of the fourth NHS Confidence Monitor and one…