NHS Dentist prices. Result.

[PeckhamRose]

My Dentist practice in East Dulwich - you may know the one, they keep you on hold for ages and the practice manager has 'attitude' but the dentists are lovely - recently told me that if something goes wrong and you have to come back to have it redone (a filling comes out after a week, for example), then you have to pay the ?48 or whatever you paid AGAIN if you see a different dentist within the same practice. And if you have to go back as an emergency because said filling has left the gap that now hurts, you have to pay the emergency fee on top because you're not seeing the same dentist. I said but what if the dentist is on holiday for a month, or has left. Tough, was the basic reply.

This sounded wrong, immoral, and just pants. But practice manager insisted she was right.

Meanwhile I had to wait 9 days to see the original dentist to put the filling back as I did not want to pay another ?48.

I rang the PCT and they agreed with me. You do not have to pay again if you see a different dentist within the same practice to fix the problem. Your contract is with the surgery/clinic and not with an individual dentist. The PCT are phoning the practice to put them right.

So if any of you have been told this and paid up, demand your money back!

Just thought I'd share the info!

Edited for clarity.

[Townleygreen]

That's brilliant - thank you!!

[the-e-dealer]

Is this the same dentist whos receptionist always has a mate standing there chatting with her so you cant talk about confidental (sic) matters relating to your treatment.

[PeckhamRose]

I don't think so. This one has a dental surgery room right behind the reception so there's not much opportunity for any confidentiality.