Quite possibly the worse experience I have ever encountered at a dental practice!
After an initial phone call, in which I asked twice if they were registering NHS patients, I was indeed accepted, as an 'NHS patient!'
So, I was sent a wad of forms to complete and an initial check up was arranged for 14th October.
I arrived at the surgery and had my check up, to be told my teeth were in good condition, but I needed a filling (which I already knew, as I had recently lost one)!
I was then quoted £80 for a silver filling, plus £26-80 for the check up. I reminded the dentist that £106-80 wasn't an NHS charge and was told that they had budgeting issues and couldn't treat me as an NHS patient!
To my astonishment, he then gave me the option of paying the private fee, or to have a temporary filling and then to return in April 2025, by which time they may be able to treat me as an NHS patient. I was annoyed when the dental nurse chipped in with her unwanted comment of, "there isn't much difference in the NHS and private costs!"
I returned to the reception desk and told them the story, explaining I was confused, as it seemed I either had to go private, or have a temporary filling - hoping that would last for 6 months! The male receptionist asked me to wait a while, until he spoke to the dentist and off he went. He returned and said there had been a misunderstanding. He was going to speak to the Principal and would get back to me later in the week, adding he was sure something would be sorted out! I paid £26-80 for my check up and left.
Two days later I spoke to the Principal, who essentially backed up everything the dentist had told me. He said, one day last week, he had received an email notifying him that he wasn't going to receive any further NHS funding. He added, what money he had left was to be used for his current NHS patients! Of which I understood would include myself as I had been taken on as NHS!
He was having none of this. My option was to pay private fees or to have my £26-80 check up fee refunded and look elsewhere for another dentist!
Message to Principal - if you received a message a week ago that drastically affected your budget, how about contacting the handful of patients that were taken on in the interim to say, "Guess what, we can only treat you as a private patient, as we're skint!" That would have saved not only your time, but also my precious time!
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