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 variations (albeit, some would say these were just mildly tweaked iterations of each other rather than any real differences) of a new contract, which at …
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 their maternity leave is one of the most popular questions that comes up. Understandably, practice owners and managers are keen to ensure the wellbeing of …
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 responsibility. The decision of whether to become a practice owner or not brings with it several other questions, one of which is whether to take …
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 right buyer for your practice is important as it can have a big impact on ensuring you maximise your investment of all the years and …
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 behind how the English NHS dental contract works, even – or, perhaps, especially – for those professionals whose job it is to deliver that contract. …
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 harness the power of patient referrals and maximise this revenue stream. I, and my colleagues who are visiting dental practices, are often asked how they …
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 goals. The desire of dentists to deliver quality care to patients and improve their oral health has been consistent in the 20-plus years I’ve worked …
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, a principal dentist who has been running one of the NHS prototype practices, whether he thinks contract reform will have any impact on this issue.
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 practice has been involved with the pilots and prototypes, gives his thoughts on this question…
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 to answer audience members’ burning questions on the future of NHS dentistry.