Some important news about your future dental care…

As a valued patient of our practice, we are sure you will have experienced our whole team’s dedication and commitment to providing you with the highest level of dental care and this remains our key priority.

What’s changing?

We sincerely apologise that due to challenging times and circumstances beyond our control, we find ourselves facing a situation that requires us to take the necessary measures to ensure the future of the practice and manage our resources effectively.

We have lost part of our NHS funding which means as of 1st April 2025, we have a reduction in NHS capacity and will no longer be able to offer NHS care to all patients. We are therefore prioritising our resources for patients who are the most vulnerable, over 75’s and children. The practice is already operating at full capacity, with resources stretched and with the ever-increasing demand on services, we therefore feel it is necessary to prioritise those most in need.

What about my NHS appointment?

If you have an NHS appointment which is booked on or before 30th September 2025, we will still see you for this and provide any required treatment, under the NHS as planned. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to provide any routine appointments after this date as we will be completing outstanding treatments.

Our loyal dentists will continue to see patients; however, this will be on an independent plan basis for those that wish to remain regular attenders with their chosen dentist.

Our patient membership plan helps you keep your teeth and gums healthy by allowing you to budget monthly for your dental care, so you can attend on a basis that’s right for you. Through regular examinations and hygiene appointments, we can spot issues early, potentially saving you from more invasive treatment in the future. Please see overleaf for full details of our membership plan benefits and your options.

What do I need to do?

Becoming a member is easy – and only takes two minutes. Please go to patientsignup.practiceplan.co.uk and sign up using your unique code: 123400874 as soon as possible. If you’re not able to complete an online registration, please contact the practice and we can advise and help you to register.

It is important that you respond quickly to let us know your preferred option as places on the membership plan are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Sign up today

Five big benefits to becoming a member…

• Encourages regular attendance – allowing us to monitor your dental health and spot any issues earlier
• Eligibility to request assistance – from the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme*
• Exclusive discount – on most treatments for our plan members**
• Spreads the cost – of your routine dental care through a convenient monthly Direct Debit
• Saves you money – compared to private pay-as-you-go fees

All of this is available from just 43p a day.
Please note, a one-off joining fee of £9.50 will be applied to your first Dental Plan payment.

By becoming a member, you will also be eligible to request assistance from the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme (the Scheme) in the event of a dental trauma and/or dental emergency, or diagnosis of oral cancer. Full details of the Scheme can be viewed at scheme.wdeas.co.uk/patients (please review the Level A documentation).

If you don’t normally attend the practice every six months, please contact us to discuss other plan options that may be more suitable for you.

What if I don’t want to join?

If you don’t wish to become a member, we will happily continue seeing you on a pay-as-you-go basis. This means paying a deposit for your appointments when you book, and the balance when you have them, without benefitting from spreading the cost, discount on treatments and access to the Scheme. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this option.

We do understand that this will not suit everybody, and individual circumstances may mean that, regrettably, you may choose not to remain under our care. We do not have any capacity within the practice to transfer you to another dentist therefore if you choose not to join you will be placed on our waiting list indefinitely. Alternatively, please visit https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist to see practices that may be able to provide ongoing care under the NHS.

What about children?

If your child is registered with us there will be no change to their care.

We’re here to help

We understand that this may cause some concerns. If you have any questions about becoming a member or any other changes outlined in this letter, we are more than happy to discuss these with you either in person or by phone on 01327 878758.

Once again, we thank you for your support and look forward to continuing to look after you and your dental health.

* Documentation relating to the Worldwide Dental Emergency Assistance Scheme, including assistance levels, limitations and exclusions is provided during online registration or can be accessed any time at https://scheme.wdeas.co.uk/patients.
** Exclusions apply to discounts on additional hygiene, orthodontics, periodontal treatment, implants and cosmetic treatments.
*** The provision of routine examinations and hygiene visits is subject to receipt of the required consecutive monthly payments.
**** A one-off administration fee of £9.50 will be collected with your first monthly payment.