Winter/Spring Newsletter 2019

Staff News

We are very pleased to welcome Helen Biggs to the Long Street Dental team as she joins us to cover Kim’s maternity leave. Helen is a familiar face having worked with the clinicians on many occasions as an agency nurse. On 14th November 2018 we attended our annual Denplan Training Day. Topics this year included Data Security, Mouth Cancer and Mindfulness. We managed to get a lovely group photo sporting our #BlueLipSelfie in aid of Mouth Cancer Awareness. Whilst the practice was closed all of the computers were upgraded and new products installed including printers and signature pads in all the surgeries

The NHS Friends and Family Test

Thank you to all our younger patients and their parents who responded to the monthly Friends and Family Test (FFT). The FFT is a NHS survey that dental practices are required to participate in. We pride ourselves on being a family friendly practice and your feedback has shown our efforts make all the different to ensure you and your family have the best service.

Denplan Supplementary Insurance

To keep Denplan payment plans compliant with new legislation, the Denplan Supplementary Insurance that was previously mandatory, will now become optional for all Denplan patients. From 17th September 2018 all new patients will need to choose the level of insurance cover they want from three options:

  • Enhanced (Payment Plan, Denplan Supplementary Insurance and Denplan Implant Upgrade Cover) Price = Monthly Fee plus £2.25
  • Full (Payment Plan, Denplan Supplementary Insurance) Price = Monthly Fee
  • Basic (Payment Plan only) Price = Monthly Fee minus £0.60

Patients that are already on Denplan will be given the option to remove the insurance attached to their plan from 1st October. By now you should have received ‘Your Denplan 2019’ magazine by post. In the magazine you can find information on your fees for next year, new legislation details and instructions on how to remove the insurance. The Supplementary Insurance includes access to Denplan’s 24 hour Emergency Helpline, cover towards the cost of emergency dental treatment whilst away from home (more than 40 miles or overseas) and in the case of a dental injury. If you have any questions please speak to a member of our Reception team who will be happy to help explain the changes.

Denplan Audit Results

We are very proud to report that our Denplan Excel Team Audit, carried out by Dr Carol Spurr on 24th October 2018, was a resounding success. The practice scored above average in comparison to historical Denplan Audits across the board, with a total score of 99.59%. This result means we maintain our Denplan Excel Certification which is an additional mark of quality available to Denplan dentists providing the highest standards of patient care from start to finish. The only recommendations for improvement fall within the Team Audit section and suggest we increase the frequency of team meetings and staff appraisals.

Missed Appointments

Private and Denplan Patients

We ask that we are given 48 hours notice to cancel or change appointments. Despite a telephone reminder 24 hours before each appointment we are still experiencing a large number ‘no shows’. Subsequently, we will continue to charge £30.00 when a private or Denplan patient fails to attend or cancels without reasonable notice and we are unable to fill the time. We understand that unplanned scenarios do occur and discretion will be used if there is a good reason for the appointment being missed.

NHS Children

If you know you will not be able to attend an appointment then please give as much notice as possible (48 hours) so we can cancel your appointment and offer your slot to another patient. Your dentist can terminate your treatment if you miss an appointment without letting the dental practice know and NHS England has the right to ask you to find another dental practice if you continue to miss appointments.

Hygienist Appointments

At Long Street Dental, we do not offer direct access appointments with the dental hygienists. This means patients must see their dentist before the hygienist and have a prescription in place before the treatment can be booked. Seeing the dentist first enables them to have a more accurate picture of your current oral health and conduct a Basic Periodontal Exam (BPE) to monitor you gum health. This enables your dentist to prescribe the most appropriate treatment for the hygienist to complete, ensuring the highest standards of care possible.

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