Out of hours dental service - what is reasonable

silvercar

Having recently had a tooth problem flare up on a Sunday, I wondered what is reasonable for a dentist to provide.

In my area, the surgery's answerphone gives out an emergency number to call.

When I called the emergency number it diverted to NHS direct. There I was promised that someone would call back within 24 hours.

I didn't want to wait that long, so searched myself for a dentist that was open. Luckily I found one, but that was probably because I can travel towards London, so the chances of finding one are greater in large towns.

Eventually after 6 hours NHS direct did phone me back - a dental nurse triage called me, too late for me but useful to know.

Interested in views.

brook2jack

In our ,very large, area the NHS out of hours cover is 4 patients pre booked appointments via NHS direct on two days , and on sundays and bank holidays a clinic that will see the first twenty patients only.

Since 2006 it has been the commissioning groups/lhbs responsibility to provide out of hours services not individual NHS dentists . The NHS Dental contract is bad enough , the costs associated with opening up surgeries out of hours would sink almost practices.

There is no other cover. The health boards policy is “toothache no matter how severe is not an emergency”.

Most dentists cannot take on any more NHS patients, 86% of dentists could not meet their targets and so had money clawed back. As a result millions have not been spent on dentistry but are used to plug the hole in the NHS finances locally.

Patients complain to dentists, who can do nothing about it , when they should be complaining to the commissioners of Dental services eg CCGs , LHBs etc

silvercar

In predominately private practices, is out of hours one of the services that is offered to patients? Or does provision go back to the NHS?

jenniewb

silvercar wrote: »

In predominately private practices, is out of hours one of the services that is offered to patients? Or does provision go back to the NHS?

My Dentist surgery is part private, part NHS. I've only ever seen them via an NHS appointment (unless they hadn't told me otherwise).


I've needed to see an emergency Dentist twice in the past few years, the first time in 2013 when a wisdom tooth was very infected and needed treatment over the Easter break and the second time earlier this year following a broken tooth.


Both times I was able to see an emergency Dentist from another surgery- the appointment arranged after calling NHS Direct (which is what my Dental surgery advises to do- they do not offer NHS emergency treatment over the weekend. They do offer treatment over the weekend but it's not NHS and costs a lot more).


There are a few emergency Dental surgeries one who offers emergency weekend appointments around me who I was extremely grateful for but in both cases I needed the tooth removed and this is not something they were able to do, even if it was the required treatment. What they can offer is a patch-up service such as removing debris and applying a dressing. It then requires you to follow up with your own Dentist for the required treatment.


I have no idea how things work once outside of London. I am extremely grateful for what we have in London but it isn't that widely covered and is just plain luck that I live fairly nearby to a few. It doesn't always mean an appointment would be available though.

brook2jack

Denplan, practice plan and private surgeries all run out of hours cover.

If you sign up to one of these schemes you automatically have an insurance that covers you for emergency treatment anywhere in the world you just pay the excess , normally £15 to £25.

The amount paid out makes it viable to open up the surgery for a patient with a dentist and dental nurse , and most practices operate a rota with other nearby practices.

In the days before 2006 when dentists were responsible for out of hours cover a dentist had to pay for the rota answering service , would see patients well into double figures by themselves and because of the way they were paid all for around £45 BEFORE expenses. In other words if you travelled any distance you virtually paid to be on call.

silvercar

My private dentist, who I changed to about a year ago after A LOT of research, doesn't offer anything out of hours.

brook2jack

I am very surprised . Are you a pay as you go patient? I know that denplan insists there is out of hours cover .

The problem is if you are a pay as you go patient there is no insurance to cover the cost of opening up the surgery and you could expect to pay £150 to £200 for a call out fee.

Comms69

Locally we have a part time out of hours service at the dental school. Couldn't recommend highly enough, quick and relatively painless (especially for an extraction!)


Check if your local hospital has a similar arrangement

silvercar

brook2jack wrote: »

I am very surprised . Are you a pay as you go patient? I know that denplan insists there is out of hours cover .

The problem is if you are a pay as you go patient there is no insurance to cover the cost of opening up the surgery and you could expect to pay £150 to £200 for a call out fee.

Yes, pay as you go. Denplan isn't offered at this practice.

I wouldn't mind if there was a shared rota with other private practices, but there is nothing.

brook2jack

Even on a shared rota with other practices an out of hours call out is likely to cost £150 to £200, but I am surprised there are no arrangements for weekends etc other than NHS cover which is very very patchy to say the least.

Saffythecat

My surgery is a mix of NHS and private and they offer an out of hours service which is shared between four other practices. Here NHS 24 also will organise emergency treatment for non-registered patients - my friend rang on a Saturday night and was seen on Sunday morning. This is in Scotland.