I decided to leave the NHS after 29 years of running an NHS practice, it was a big decision but it has completely changed my personal and professional life.
The sleepless nights are gone, as I no longer worry so much about falling foul of one of the authorities by trying to meet rules and regulation without compromising standards. Neither am I cramming appointments into 15 minutes and struggling to see 30 to 40 patients a day.
Instead, I now see around 10 to 15 patients a day and feel I can spend more time with each of them, for instance 20 minutes for a check-up or 30 minutes for a filling. Moving to private has opened up a whole new world of being able to take the time to provide high-quality dental care.
There’s also been more time for myself and the team to undergo clinical and non-clinical training, which is not only personally rewarding but also allows us to offer wider services to patients.
After several decades in the NHS, moving to private dentistry was always going to be a significant shift in the way we work. But it genuinely feels like I have been unshackled from the constraints I felt when working in the NHS. I can now do the quality of work that as a clinician you dream of, which just isn’t feasible when you’re tied to an NHS contract and targets.
About Gordon:
Gordon is Clinical Director at Madoc Dental Care, he graduated in 1983 from Manchester University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Surgery. After working briefly in Devon, Gordon settled in Llandudno and has been working at Madoc Dental Care since 1986.