Moving from NHS to private practice: Our life beyond the UDA event

Written by:Kevin Lewis BDS FDS RCS (Eng) FCGDent Special Consultant to BDA Indemnity 

Life beyond the UDA in Birmingham is for ambitious dentists practising in England, adapted from the hugely popular event in Northern Ireland last year.

Practice owners and associates at all career stages will be able to gain valuable insights into the options available outside the NHS and the system of Units of Dental Activity (UDAs). Dentists at our last event said they learned a lot from the speakers and came away with a good grounding in the decisions they would need to make to take on private work. The speakers explore ways to maintain good ongoing relationships with patients while being in control of the business.

Considering the UDA

The existing NHS contract and the system of UDAs mean that dentists lack basic control of their finances, and of important aspects of patient care and relationships. This can be very stressful and frustrating.

The rules of business for dental practices

Knowing the golden rules is essential to run a business that is profitable, enjoyable to work in and good for your mental health. Over the course of the day, dentists learn how to control practice costs, profitability and cashflow along with a return on investment on facilities.

Profitable practices

Fundamentally, your income should always be greater than your expenditure. As we know, the NHS system is not like this: dentists make money on some things and lose money on others with no control over what they can charge. Normal businesses do not operate like this at all. In a private fee per item system, you decide how much to charge versus how much expenditure you incur, in order to control your profits. No business is happy to shoulder all the financial risk while not being in control of pricing. If costs are greater for one treatment than another, you need the freedom to set pricing as you see fit.

During the day, I will explore pricing and value along with costs and profitability. It is a question of justifying the price you set to patients, because people are typically prepared to pay more for the benefits they value the most.

Presenting different payment options to patients

Many dentists who move from the NHS to private practice have concerns about losing their existing patients. Some dentists successfully retain patients through their fee-setting. You may wish to test the water on a lower initial fee although at some point you will want to charge more, and patients can get frustrated at that stage.

Using schemes like Denplan can be a gentle solution because patients can spread the cost. Models where dentists receive a fixed amount based on the number of patients seen are known as "capitation" schemes, but it is important to realise that each scheme works slightly differently and one may meet your needs better than another. Some patients will still take more time, and incur more costs than others, depending on their care requirements. Giving patients the choice between capitation schemes and paying fixed fees tends to work best.

What is best for you?

You want your dental practice to offer you flexibility and control. Dentists often feel loyal to and responsible for their patients, especially in small practices and tight-knit communities. Ultimately, dental practices still need to run as businesses and be financially sustainable in order to continue caring for their patients.

Highlighting the benefits of private treatment

Promoting anything is a skill in itself. Patients do not really want dentistry; they want the benefits of dentistry and the security of feeling confident in a dental team they know and trust. It follows that you should sell the benefits for them personally, and peace of mind rather than the treatment itself. During the event we explore the principles of successfully promoting your dental practice, including promoting your unique expertise.

Some patients may be more reluctant to pay when they are on a fee per item model, because they can directly compare the price to what they pay on the NHS. When you use a capitation scheme, the like-for-like comparison is not so stark and it eases patients into payments. You must bear in mind too that capitation schemes are particularly attractive to patients who need a lot of treatment, and your costs will be higher on these patients. On the other hand, patients who do not require much treatment may view capitation schemes as poor value for money.

Finding the right solution

Give your patients the choice to spend their money in the way they see fit. Dentists care greatly about patient wellbeing, but you also need to make money and control your expenses. We consider from a business point of view issues like patients failing to attend appointments so that you can avoid or minimise financial losses. On the day I will share some great ideas and insights on this subject from some of the leading minds of the business world. This knowledge helps dentists think and work in innovative ways, outside the constraints of the NHS and the UDA.

Drawing on what you already know

You know a lot about your practice and the area it is in, so you can choose the option that suits you the best. Ask your staff for their opinions too, because they will often bring a new and valuable perspective that you had not considered. There is no one solution that suits everyone and we explore how to decide on the right path for you.

Successive failed NHS contracts have got dentists into the habit of just having to accept the prices externally set for them. At "Life beyond the UDA" we give you the tools to put you firmly back in charge of your practice and your finances, with a roadmap of how to roll out the changes effectively.

Join us in September and start getting paid fairly for your skill and hard work. Accepting anything less is not fair, and nor does it make good business sense. Moving to private practice is a huge step and one that needs to be carefully managed through informed decision making.

Book your place hereand save £50 with our early bird rate until the end of August. Based outside of England? Watch this space for details of similar events in Scotland and Wales too. Please email to register your interestif you would like us to keep you updated.