NHS dentist and PPE charges

Spoonie_Turtle

Ygritte said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Ygritte said:

No I am nhs, I’m just exempt from any charges due to being on certain benefits. The receptionist just wanted to make sure I knew I would have to pay the nhs checkup fee, ppe fee and that anything else is purely private for the time being. 

The manager isnt about. 

I’m not sure what to do as no other dentists are accepting anyone right now. 

That's really weird, because I'm also exempt due to benefits and I was charged nothing for my appointment last week. I just had to fill in the exemption form as usual.

Where are you based? This is east London/Essex 

I'm in Bedfordshire

Torry_Quine

I'm in Scotland and so dentists only doing urgent care just now. I wouldn't object to a small charge.

Ygritte

I’ve just been dropped by the practice as because I’ve made one complaint previously (which got resolved) I clearly don’t trust them and they don’t want to treat me anymore. 

And no one is accepting new patients. 

I just want to cry. Don’t ever question them evidently. Fml. 

Undervalued

Ygritte said:

I’ve just been dropped by the practice as because I’ve made one complaint previously (which got resolved) I clearly don’t trust them and they don’t want to treat me anymore. 

And no one is accepting new patients. 

I just want to cry. Don’t ever question them evidently. Fml. 

Sadly in England (slightly different elsewhere) nobody is "registered" with an NHS dentist and they are under no obligation to see you again once the current course of treatment is completed.

You might just possibly, depending on the circumstances, have grounds to make a complaint about their professional conduct to the GDC. That could potentially cause them a whole load of grief and may ultimately benefit other patients but it does not get your teeth looked at.

elsien

Ygritte said:

I’ve just been dropped by the practice as because I’ve made one complaint previously (which got resolved) I clearly don’t trust them and they don’t want to treat me anymore. 

And no one is accepting new patients. 

I just want to cry. Don’t ever question them evidently. Fml. 

There is a number to call if you're having difficulty getting a dentist, although how much odds it will  make in practice, I don't know.
https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/dentists/how-to-find-an-nhs-dentist/

Munky05

I am a NHS patient at ocean dental and was informed I would be charged £59.00 for PPE  to have my teeth cleaned. I said forget it I can't afford to pay that much extra. I think they are ripping people off, it shouldn't be allowed. 

Toothsmith

Munky05 said:

I am a NHS patient at ocean dental and was informed I would be charged £59.00 for PPE  to have my teeth cleaned. I said forget it I can't afford to pay that much extra. I think they are ripping people off, it shouldn't be allowed. 

I don't think an NHS charge for PPE is allowed. But then just having your teeth cleaned isn't allowed on the NHS anyway - so it would have been being quoted as a private treatment.

What also shouldn't be allowed is PPE manufacturers & suppliers charging 5-10x more than they were pre-pandemic for the same PPE! But such is supply & demand.

Undervalued

Toothsmith said:

Munky05 said:

I am a NHS patient at ocean dental and was informed I would be charged £59.00 for PPE  to have my teeth cleaned. I said forget it I can't afford to pay that much extra. I think they are ripping people off, it shouldn't be allowed. 

I don't think an NHS charge for PPE is allowed. But then just having your teeth cleaned isn't allowed on the NHS anyway - so it would have been being quoted as a private treatment.

What also shouldn't be allowed is PPE manufacturers & suppliers charging 5-10x more than they were pre-pandemic for the same PPE! But such is supply & demand.

Yes.

However the OP needs to clarify if the "cleaning" is medically necessary, perhaps as treatment for gum disease? If it is medically necessary then it should be done on the NHS and they cannot legally charge extra for PPE (although sadly that doesn't mean some won't try it on)!

If it is not medically necessary but is cosmetic, then as TS says it would be private and they can charge what they like (as long as they tell you in advance)!

JustAnotherSaver

Munky05 said:

 I think they are ripping people off. 

I used to have a view of dentists and dentistry which completely changed due to my wife being in dentistry.

I get told about joe-bloggs complaints and i think yeah that's what my opinion would be too. Then she explains it from the dentistry side and its an eye opener. And that isn't just to do with Covid. The targets they're to meet, the paying of money back for not meeting targets, the patients going back again and again & the dentist earning no extra for the follow ups, the sky high costs of things (she gets to see the costs of various things due to her role).

Had i not been told any of this inside info i'd have the same opinion as Joe-Public too.