It’s fair to say that, in these uncertain financial times, a full transition to private practice will leave many principals feeling a little weak at the knees. Why should you, after all, leave the relative⇐ ⇔security of the NHS and put in place entirely new funding options for your patients?
However, these days the transition to private practice is not an ‘all or nothing’ choice and there are plenty of options available. As an example, the overwhelming majority of Denplan practices offer a mixed service of both NHS and private care. With so much change on the horizon within the NHS, it makes good business sense to at least look at the available options and consider the ways in which you can secure your practice’s success long into the future.
Timing
The current target-driven approach favoured by the NHS is believed by many to be at odds with the patient-focused approach that is at the foundation of professional training. This was cited by many as one of the main reasons for practices moving away from the NHS when the last new NHS contract was introduced in 2006. However, the Department of Health seems to have learned from these experiences and the piloting of new approaches to fund NHS dental care is well under way, although the confirmed details of such a new contract remain unknown.
The next iteration of the NHS contract does, therefore, need to learn and build from its past experiences, but it does so against a predicted future of flat healthcare spending and budgetary constraints. It will also be at least another year before the evaluation of the NHS pilot outcomes is sufficient to inform a new contract, and with a general election in May 2015, it would seem that the coalition’s commitment to introduce a new contract before then may be a tall order. That said, it’s interesting to note the intention of introducing a new NHS dental contract based on registration, capitation and quality, with a focus on preventive care. This is a system that payment plan providers have been operating for years, helping practices achieve and sustain financial stability while helping patients to achieve optimal oral health.
With the potential for turbulence in NHS dental care, now could be the right time to consider private dentistry.
Available
A full conversion could feel like a daunting prospect so it’s important to look closely at the problems you currently face in your practice and what options are available to you. What is it specifically that you want to achieve or change as a result of a transition; which provider will offer you the best support; and does its values and aspirations mirror your own? Once you have the answers to these questions you can see whether a full conversion, partial transition or slow transition to offering private care is the best option for you.
You can, for example, undertake a principal only transition whereby the NHS contractual obligations are delivered by associates within the practice, and the principal focuses on private patients. As a result, the principal gains freedom from UDA targets and can benefit from the additional time spent with patients. The practice benefits from increased revenue while retaining its NHS contract and patients are given a greater degree of choice.
Payment plans
Offering a dental payment plan to patients wishing to benefit from private care can increase the practice’s stable, regular income, while providing a way for patients to budget for their dental care. Many dentists assume that patients will be unwilling or unable to afford such a service, but research, undertaken by YouGov, has indicated that 15 per cent of regular attenders without a payment or cash plan, and over 23 per cent of private fee per item patients would consider buying a payment plan to help them budget for their dental care and treatment.
Providing your patients with a range of options to pay for their treatment ensures their loyalty and can mean the difference between attendance and a depleted appointment book due to cancellations or postponed treatment in the current financial climate. It can also help you to differentiate yourself from the competition, increasing the success of your practice, allowing you to get back to the kind of dentistry you trained to deliver without worrying about the future. It sounds simple, and in the right circumstances, it can be.