COVID19 DENTIST CHARGING FOR PPE

curtis122

I can't help but feeling that too many people are being too compliant with extra charges and fees and to some extent even changes controlling what we do and how we do things due to this virus because of the fact its covid and so many people are effected and this 'we are all in this toghether' type thinking and don't get me wrong I know there are some businesses that have no choice to charge more and obviously some changes have to be made to protect people but I think a lot are seeing it as a bit of a money spinner. My dentist has gone up £10 due to covid, in 6 months or a years time when this has passed and we are back to normal will they be reducing it back down again, no this sets the bench mark now and it will keep going up as normal from there and I think that will be true for a lot of things including taxes. Maybe I'm too cynical!!!!

brook2jack2

Dentists have no choice. The PPE , fallow times , distancing of patients ,equipment changes etc are all detailed in hundreds of pages of documents from our regulatory bodies. If dentists do not comply they will be shut down , struck off and prosecuted.

The NHS has already recognised that dentistry ,in covid era , is financially unsustainable and is drastically reducing targets to try to keep dentists afloat. 

Private dentists have less financial support than betting shops . They will have to increase charges to cover the dramatic downturn in patients they can see a day and the dramatic upturn in costs to remain covid compliant. In my part of the world , which is definitely not well off, 50% of all dentistry is carried out privately , most dentists subsidise NHS treatment with private. For these mixed practices NHS fees alone will not keep them going.

How are dentists going to stay open on vastly reduced patient numbers and vastly increased costs, if not by defraying some of those costs?

epm-84

brook2jack2 said:

Dentists were not eligible for a lot of financial help, they got less help than betting shops. 

NHS dental staff were ineligible for furlough, private dental staff were eligible - that lead to the confusion about what happens if a dental nurse supports both a NHS dentist and a private dentist.  Although, saying that until 1st July it was not possible to do part time furlough so that may have meant some practices had a non-furloughed private dentist so that there was someone on hand to speak to patients over the phone/on video and to issue prescriptions.

epm-84

nannyto2 said:

holly1991 said:

nannyto2 said:

Being charged at all is ridiculous. It does not cost that much for a good reuseable mask and some cleaning products. Just another excuse for businesses and rich folk to rip other people off. Neither my dentist nor my hairdresser has charged me ANYTHING extra. neither has my husbands barber. So don't know what kind of dentists and barbers you guys re going to, but as they always say, vote with your wallet and brain, and move permanently to another barber/hairdresser/dentist that has morals not to rip their customers off during a global emergency! Disgusting behaviour.

Tell that to my accountants face when he saw how much I’ve had to spend on said “ cheap reusable masks and cleaning products” if u don’t work in a sector that has literally been turned on its head then I suggest taking a step back looking on some of the Ppe supplier price lists then tell me businesses r just being greedy, I live outside the Leicester lockdown I’ve seen what happens to businesses that haven’t or can’t afford to follow rules with the Ppe  

As a customer, you have a choice, is my main point. Just because you have been going to the same hairdresser or dentist for 5 years you do not owe them any loyalty, especially if they treat you in a way you disagree with.

Changing a hairdresser is easy - you can book an appointment with anyone and you just need to explain what you want done.  They don't need to get your records from your old hairdresser or undertake a new customer consultation before cutting your hair.  With a dentist that's not the case and as well as that there may be a waiting list for new patients or they might only accept new patients during one month of the year - I know for one practice near me you can only join as a new patient in September.  If you enquired about joining in October you'd have to wait until the following year's intake

brook2jack2

With months of outstanding Emergency  treatment to get through , months of routine treatment to finish off and months of outstanding check ups to get through , even with practices working extended hours and days , I doubt very many will be in a position to take anyone on for a very long time.

ripplyuk

brook2jack2 said:

With months of outstanding Emergency  treatment to get through , months of routine treatment to finish off and months of outstanding check ups to get through , even with practices working extended hours and days , I doubt very many will be in a position to take anyone on for a very long time.

It’s a 6 week wait here. I believe the dentists here in Northern Ireland are still restricted in what they can do (no AGP’s etc) and I’ve no idea when that changes so I’ve decided to move to a dentist over the border. I also managed to get an emergency appointment there the same day, a few weeks ago but it’s a 6 week wait for new patient/routine stuff. I was not charged for PPE. Or at least, there was no mention of it on the invoice and the total price was very reasonable. I do think it’s fair to charge for PPE but I also understand that many people won’t be able to afford it. I think there’s going to be a lot of neglected teeth and dental problems in the future over this. 

brook2jack2

the Republic of Ireland is not subject to the same restrictive measures over PPE and , more particularly , fallow time ie leaving a surgery free for an hour after treatment . 

England m Wales, Scotland and NI are subject to much stricter measures against covid  than Ireland and hence are financially much more precarious. 

epm-84

brook2jack2 said:

I doubt very many will be in a position to take anyone on for a very long time.

They can say they'll only accept new patients by referral.  That could mean someone who moves house could get a referral or someone who is with a private dentist and can't afford the treatment they propose so they get referred to a NHS dentist for the work (especially if they have been made redundant and are on income based benefits meaning the work may be free for them on the NHS) but wouldn't include someone who isn't happy that their dentist has increased the price of examinations.

hb2

It may be that some dentists in some areas are not charging extra for PPE but I would also expect that there are other areas where all dentists are charging. So, in those areas, it is not as easy as saying 'just go elsewhere' even when there are dental practices taking new patients. Whilst the £40+ first quoted seems very steep, I am more than happy to pay a bit extra to keep local businesses afloat.

I saw my hairdresser today and she charged an extra £3 for PPE. That has to cover the added costs of buying protective screens and posters, face visors for staff, masks for customers (I took my own but no, I didn't expect a discount!), plastic aprons for staff, paper towels, plastic gowns for clients, hand sanitisers, extra cleaning materials, extra kit as each stylist has to have some of everything, paper cups - and this is even before you take into account the effects of having to limit the number of customers they can see. Even then, some people are moaning about 'profiteering' 

silvercar

I do wonder what is happening in dentistry in other countries.
Here we have had months of delays, treatment plans abandoned, no routine check ups and patients in urgent need facing a choice of staying in agony or losing a tooth that in normal time would be saved.
I'm not blaming anyone, just curious.