NHS dentistry has been at the forefront of minds – and headlines – with the news that 90% of NHS practices across the UK are no longer accepting new adult patients.

It’s certainly been a turbulent time for NHS dentists. At Hive, we’ve been asking questions about NHS dentistry for a few years now, and the situation is only getting worse. What we’re now seeing is the very simple law of supply and demand in action. Associate dentists no longer wish to tolerate the difficulties and obstacles of serving NHS dentistry.

Adding further stress to the situation is the fact that while there are still many practice owners with NHS contracts, they’re struggling to find the staff to service their patients. In some places, dentists are asking for up to £15 UDA; an almost 50% increase on the former average of around £10.50, and one that makes it economically non-viable to continue.

It’s a harsh truth that NHS dentistry is no longer appealing to dentists. The model of high-volume throughput that they’re asked to work to is all about efficiency, rather than incentivisation. Though many dentists somewhat guiltily feel they should want to work for the NHS, and have the desire to contribute to it, the daily reality is a grind. Many simply end up feeling like machines. Though the Government recently announced ‘significant changes’ to the NHS dental contract, these have fallen flat for many, with some dentists describing them as ‘modest tinkering’ and ‘too little and too late’.

Instead – and we can hardly blame them – dental professionals want to deliver the kind of dentistry that they trained for, and that they most likely dreamed of delivering when they left dental school. Here, they’re able to work with the equipment they need, and to dedicate more of their valuable time to each patient.

However, as a practice owner you might be wary of exiting a system that delivers a guaranteed income each month. Although NHS dentistry isn’t ideal, it can be seen as a financial safety net that’s nerve-wracking to lose.

In many cases, the strength of this safety net hasn’t yet been judged, and many practice owners don’t actually know how profitable they are. One priority, therefore, is taking a look ‘under the hood’ at your practice’s financial health. Often, we find that owners have a mistaken belief in how profitable their practice is, and how much their NHS contract is worth. If you’re not sure about your position, we can use our expertise to improve visibility and offer a candid snapshot of how you’re doing.

Although it’s tough to contemplate relinquishing your existing NHS contract, bear in mind that plan providers usually estimate that a 40% signup provides the same financial stability. So, if you have 1,000 NHS patients now, and manage to retain just 400 (40%), you’ll be at the same level of viability. After all, something’s got to give; in another example industry, selling fish and chips may have been a viable business model when the ingredients cost £5 and the price was £10, but when the production costs increase to near to the sale price, it’s not hard to see the cliff that business is heading towards. I’ve certainly seen fish and chip shops raising their prices recently. The trouble, as we all know, is that the price remains fixed with NHS work.

If you’ve already made the decision to move to private practice, Hive can help. Our multi-disciplinary teams can work with you to map out where you’re going, and even put you in touch with plan providers to begin building a new guaranteed monthly income.

One of the first things we can do is to encapsulate your market position, beliefs, brand, and space in the marketplace. Where the NHS is all-encompassing and generic, this is your opportunity to shape and articulate your vision – both for yourself as a practice owner, and for your team – and to spend time getting to the heart of what your practice does and who it does it for. This is also a time to begin considering how you’ll deliver an enjoyable customer journey, and to think about financial modelling.

If this all leaves you feeling stressed, we do understand. Change – and the uncertainty that often surrounds it – are proven to be more stressful than dealing with whatever the outcome may have been, even if that happens to be your worst-case scenario.

However, as we’ve noted before, with change comes opportunity. If you’re unhappy as an NHS practice, let us take the uncertainty away and start you on the well-trodden path to something different and better. This is a journey we’re very familiar with, meaning that you don’t have to do it alone. Yes, the transition might be tough, but it’s a bold leap that will help you to create the practice you want, in an environment and culture that’s deserving of your hard-won years of training and expertise.

To find out more, and to discuss your specific circumstances, get in touch.