New NHS Dental Charges From 1 April 2008

Toothsmith

It's a bit hard to advise when we're not sure what's going on.

If you've been accepted as an NHS patient, then the extractions should be covered by NHS charges.

I don't understand where this referral to the hospital fits in though?

alison999

kaya wrote: »

thanks for the reply's, i dont really have a problem for paying for the sedation, but is it right that they were stating £150 for each extraction? i would have thought they would have been covered by the NHS?
The end result of the visit was that i paid for the x-ray i had and the very uninterested and hurried dentist said he would refer me to the local hospital because of my phobia and the condition my teeth were in( i had to take vallium to get through the front door) but they dont accept everybody that is refered and i had to sign a purple form to say i accept NHS dental charges? This is all so very confusing and the dentist was not at all interested in employing any kind of social skills :-(

usually people are referred to the hospital if they cant handle treament even under sedation. have you rung the practice yet? the £150 p/extraction may seem steep but how can you decide when you dont know what you're paying for?

mary43

Went to the dentist on Monday expecting tooth to be taken out and put on to my denture but the dentist said he could re-fill it no problem so I went for that option.............£44.79 (not sure if I got the pence right on that but it was £44 something anyway)

alison999

mary43 wrote: »

Went to the dentist on Monday expecting tooth to be taken out and put on to my denture but the dentist said he could re-fill it no problem so I went for that option.............£44.79 (not sure if I got the pence right on that but it was £44 something anyway)

a extraction on the nhs is £44.60, whether its done under sedation or not.

kaya

ill phone the practice now and try to find out, although the receptionist didnt seem very efficient at her job, i did tell them that i had been treated under sedation previously and also told the dentist i couldnt let him poke about with sharp impliments but mirrors were ok, so now im even more confused as to the referral

kaya

just spoke to the receptionist, even more confused now, as im not on a qualifying benefit (i get incap) im not entitled to sedation or extraction under the nhs apparently, i have to pay £120 for the sedation and £150 for each extraction(of which im sure i need many)they are a sedation clinic and that is there rules, then she asked what i paid yesterday, i told her £16.50 for the x-ray and was told that is an nhs charge so im on nhs treatment?
i did ask if there was a capped or standard rate that everybody paid under the nhs which she admitted knowing nothing about.

Toothsmith

A practice cannot accept you on the NHS, and then tell you you cannot have basic treatment on the NHS just because you have a lot to do.

I think they can offer sedation on a private - only basis, but I'm fairly surethey must offer you the treatment on the NHS.

As Alison says - that would be 44.60 (in England). If you've already paid the 16.50 charge for exam and xrays, then you would only owe a further 28.10 for all the extractions and illings you need.

If they are telling you something fundamentally different to this (And it seems they are) then I would ring up your local PCT and speak to the dental person thereabout it for clarification.

alison999

Toothsmith wrote: »

A practice cannot accept you on the NHS, and then tell you you cannot have basic treatment on the NHS just because you have a lot to do.

I think they can offer sedation on a private - only basis, but I'm fairly surethey must offer you the treatment on the NHS.

As Alison says - that would be 44.60 (in England). If you've already paid the 16.50 charge for exam and xrays, then you would only owe a further 28.10 for all the extractions and illings you need.

If they are telling you something fundamentally different to this (And it seems they are) then I would ring up your local PCT and speak to the dental person thereabout it for clarification.

right. just make sure though that you paid 16.20 NOT 16.50. £16.20 is the nhs charges, otherwise you may be paying private already. if you are a nhs patient though, you are entitled to nhs treatment no matter what. even if you recieve no benefits, nhs is nhs.

kaya

i had a brief conoversation with the local PCT on friday, dental specialist wont be back until monday, the lady i did speak with seemed of the opinion that local NHS dentists under the new contract cold pick and choose what work they did on the nhs, if they didn't want to do extractions they didnt have to, i was also of the belief that the nhs was for everybody regardless of income-thanks again for the replies, ill call the pct dental specialist first-thing monday and update, im sure it was £16.20, im also confused as to why i signed the purple nhs form if they wont do the work on the NHS, maybe its all deliberatly confusing to grab more money from the unsuspeting?

alison999

kaya wrote: »

i had a brief conoversation with the local PCT on friday, dental specialist wont be back until monday, the lady i did speak with seemed of the opinion that local NHS dentists under the new contract cold pick and choose what work they did on the nhs, if they didn't want to do extractions they didnt have to, i was also of the belief that the nhs was for everybody regardless of income-thanks again for the replies, ill call the pct dental specialist first-thing monday and update, im sure it was £16.20, im also confused as to why i signed the purple nhs form if they wont do the work on the NHS, maybe its all deliberatly confusing to grab more money from the unsuspeting?

the form is you agreeing to be treated on the nhs. another signature is to say you paid for the treatment. depending on the form they use, those 2 ponts might be covered with one signature. you should ask what youre signing before you sign things.