Matt Hadman talks to Craig Walsh, owner of Buxton Dental Practice, about why he decided to move away from the NHS and go membership-only after the practice reopened following lockdown.
MH: Why did you decide to move from being a mixed practice to fully private, and how did Covid-19 impact this decision?
CW: When I bought Buxton Dental Practice, I had a small NHS contract, a list of membership plan patients and a list of private PAYG patients. So, I had the opportunity to try these different elements and find which mix worked best for me.
I sat down and thought about what I loved doing most when I first came out of dental school and what I didn’t like doing now, and what I needed to do to get back to doing more of what makes me happy.
I thought about what kind of dentistry I wanted to provide, and I decided that to do that I had to be fully private and membership-only. This was just before we went into lockdown, which obviously put the brakes on everything.
Our membership plan was vital during lockdown, which only served to reinforce my decision. It was a real lifeline for the practice and provided continuity of cashflow during a time of zero hands-on activity.
A positive side of lockdown was that it gave me more time for due diligence; I could think it through thoroughly and make sure my gut feeling was correct.
Coronavirus has been really difficult for so many, so if there’s anything positive to take from it, we really should grasp those opportunities.
MH: Did you have any concerns about making these changes, and how did you overcome them?
CW: Of course. There was concern around how patients, especially the older demographic, would react. But we thought about it in advance and made sure that if anyone did have any queries about moving onto the plan, we would sit down and have a proper discussion about it.
If they still don’t really understand why we’re doing it and the ethos behind it, then we’re probably not the right practice for them so we’ll help all we can to find one that is.
But in general, the patient feedback has been positive. The patients we expected to have concerns have been addressed; I leave time at the end of each day so that I can contact any patients who do have queries and have a proper chat to alleviate any worries.
I really wanted to move quickly from mixed to fully private and membership-only, so we could move forward after lockdown and build an even stronger business as soon as possible.
MH: How did you bring the team on board with implementing the changes?
CW: When I bought the practice three years ago, there was a plan provider already in place but I knew early on I wanted to move to a practice-branded plan that could give me much better support, so I moved to Practice Plan.
My team and I did a quick conversion. So, when it came to moving totally private and plan-only, I knew we just needed to take the same approach.
We made sure the message about why we’re doing this has been fully understood by the whole team, so everyone is saying exactly the same thing to anyone with concerns and they feel fully prepared for any questions. I always make sure that my team know I am fully there for them and that I am more than happy to talk to patients who might have questions; it is not just the responsibility of the front desk.
MH: What advice do you have for anyone else thinking of gaining even more independence from the NHS or moving to membership-only?
CW: I don’t think there’s ever been a better time. For me, there is an opportunity to transition away from the NHS and to membership-only with a lower risk than I’ve ever had before, due to the abatement for the NHS contract. And of course, no one knows yet what will happen in the future with that figure or the contract.
I think we’re actually in a honeymoon period now and the aftershocks are still to come. As practices move forward over the next 12-18 months, they’re in for a bumpy ride if they don’t have a strong business plan or some kind of financial protection.