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Your dentist could be ripping you off (but don’t say anything until after treatment)
Inaccurate: a report has said that patients are given insufficient information about care and treatments they can receive
29 May 2012
Dentists may be deliberately misleading their patients about their NHS entitlements to prompt them to pay for private care, a watchdog has said.
Half a million patients a year may have unnecessarily paid to receive private dental treatment after receiving inaccurate information from their dentist about health service entitlements, an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) study found.
Patients are given insufficient information to make informed decisions about their choice of dentists and the treatments they receive, and the dental industry is not always working in their best interest, the report said.
The OFT, which enforces consumer protection law and competition law, has called for major changes to the dentistry market in the UK after the study also raised concerns about restrictions preventing patients from directly accessing dental care professionals, such as hygienists, without a referral from a dentist.
These restrictions are unjustified and likely to reduce patient choice and dampen competition, the OFT said.
John Fingleton, chief executive of the OFT, said: "Our study has raised significant concerns about the UK dentistry market which need to be tackled quickly in the interest of patients.
"All too often patients lack access to the information they need, for example when choosing a dentist or when getting dental treatment.
"We also unearthed evidence that some patients may be receiving deliberately inaccurate information about their entitlement to NHS dental treatment, and we expect to see robust action taken against such potential misconduct by dentists."
"This study has also highlighted that the current NHS dental contract in England may well not be working in the best interests of patients, and that regulations unjustifiably restrict patients from getting direct access to dental care professionals like hygienists.
"Reform in both these areas is needed without delay."
It is difficult for new dental practices to be established and successful practices offering a high quality of service to NHS patients are prevented from expanding because of the structure of NHS dental contracts in England, the report said.
The majority of contracts are not time-limited, and only a small volume of new contracts are put out to tender each year, the OFT said.
The watchdog also expressed concern about the complexity of the complaints process for patients and instances of dentists pressuring patients to buy dental payment plans.
The British Dental Association has since agreed to develop a robust and effective code of practice covering the sale of such plans.
The OFT said it is calling on NHS commissioning bodies, the General Dental Council and the Care Quality Commission to enforce existing rules requiring dentists and dental practices to provide timely, clear and accurate information to patients about prices and available dental treatments.
It called for the General Dental Council to remove restrictions preventing patients from making appointments to see dental hygienists, dental therapists and clinical dental technicians directly as soon as possible.
It also urged the Department of Health to redesign the NHS dental contract so new dental practices could enter the market and successful practices could expand, saying it was not convinced indefinite contracts to supply NHS dentistry are in the best interests of patients.
The complaints system should be made simpler and less time-consuming for patients and dentists to resolve grievances, the report added.
Health Minister Lord Howe said: "We welcome this study which has found that the vast majority of patients are happy with their dental treatment, and that the vast majority of dentists behave ethically.
"However, denying patients care on the basis of misinformation is a very serious matter. Any dentist that does this risks breaching their contract and we would expect the local NHS to take action.
"Since May 2010 an extra one million people are now seeing an NHS dentist, and we are strongly committed to increasing the skill mix, making sure patients can see the right dental professional at the right time."
Inaccurate: a report has said that patients are given insufficient information about care and treatments they can receive
29 May 2012
Dentists may be deliberately misleading their patients about their NHS entitlements to prompt them to pay for private care, a watchdog has said.
Half a million patients a year may have unnecessarily paid to receive private dental treatment after receiving inaccurate information from their dentist about health service entitlements, an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) study found.
Patients are given insufficient information to make informed decisions about their choice of dentists and the treatments they receive, and the dental industry is not always working in their best interest, the report said.
The OFT, which enforces consumer protection law and competition law, has called for major changes to the dentistry market in the UK after the study also raised concerns about restrictions preventing patients from directly accessing dental care professionals, such as hygienists, without a referral from a dentist.
These restrictions are unjustified and likely to reduce patient choice and dampen competition, the OFT said.
John Fingleton, chief executive of the OFT, said: "Our study has raised significant concerns about the UK dentistry market which need to be tackled quickly in the interest of patients.
"All too often patients lack access to the information they need, for example when choosing a dentist or when getting dental treatment.
"We also unearthed evidence that some patients may be receiving deliberately inaccurate information about their entitlement to NHS dental treatment, and we expect to see robust action taken against such potential misconduct by dentists."
"This study has also highlighted that the current NHS dental contract in England may well not be working in the best interests of patients, and that regulations unjustifiably restrict patients from getting direct access to dental care professionals like hygienists.
"Reform in both these areas is needed without delay."
It is difficult for new dental practices to be established and successful practices offering a high quality of service to NHS patients are prevented from expanding because of the structure of NHS dental contracts in England, the report said.
The majority of contracts are not time-limited, and only a small volume of new contracts are put out to tender each year, the OFT said.
The watchdog also expressed concern about the complexity of the complaints process for patients and instances of dentists pressuring patients to buy dental payment plans.
The British Dental Association has since agreed to develop a robust and effective code of practice covering the sale of such plans.
The OFT said it is calling on NHS commissioning bodies, the General Dental Council and the Care Quality Commission to enforce existing rules requiring dentists and dental practices to provide timely, clear and accurate information to patients about prices and available dental treatments.
It called for the General Dental Council to remove restrictions preventing patients from making appointments to see dental hygienists, dental therapists and clinical dental technicians directly as soon as possible.
It also urged the Department of Health to redesign the NHS dental contract so new dental practices could enter the market and successful practices could expand, saying it was not convinced indefinite contracts to supply NHS dentistry are in the best interests of patients.
The complaints system should be made simpler and less time-consuming for patients and dentists to resolve grievances, the report added.
Health Minister Lord Howe said: "We welcome this study which has found that the vast majority of patients are happy with their dental treatment, and that the vast majority of dentists behave ethically.
"However, denying patients care on the basis of misinformation is a very serious matter. Any dentist that does this risks breaching their contract and we would expect the local NHS to take action.
"Since May 2010 an extra one million people are now seeing an NHS dentist, and we are strongly committed to increasing the skill mix, making sure patients can see the right dental professional at the right time."
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/h...t-7799835.html
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