Deciding whether to move away from the NHS is a big step, and it’s completely normal to feel a bit nervous about this. Sometimes, being able to talk things through with someone who understands the ins and outs can help put your mind at rest. What’s more, having a chat with us now doesn’t mean you’re committing to anything. It’s all about exploring your options and making sure you’re confident in your decision.
Stage 1 – Is it right for you?
Introducing a membership plan can help take some of the fear out of handing back your NHS contract. A well-populated plan can help provide a regular monthly income that can help replace your previous NHS income.
At Practice Plan we’ve been helping practices make the move from NHS to private dentistry since 1995, so we feel justified in describing ourselves as experts in the process. We’ve developed a simple five-step process that’s helped hundreds of dentists navigate the transition from NHS to private dentistry smoothly—and beyond. Every practice is different, and every owner has their own unique vision and goals. So, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Which is why we treat everyone as an individual. The first thing we do is get to know your practice inside out—we have a good look under the bonnet to find out what makes it special and find out your future goals.
We also look at four key indicators to see if now is the right time for you to make the move: patient loyalty, patient numbers, your team, and your demographics. If it’s not the right moment yet, then we’ll be straight with you. We never push anyone to do anything. We’ll guide you on how to strengthen your practice so you’re ready when the time feels right. You call the shots.
Stage 2 – Exploring the financial side
Once you have a solid foundation, we’ll crunch the numbers and help you figure out the financial side—how much income you’ll need to keep things profitable and sustainable. We’ll explore what hourly rate you’d need to charge and how a membership plan can provide a steady, guaranteed income.
Plans don’t just benefit the practice, they can help your patients access the care they need, improve their dental health, and make budgeting for their oral healthcare much easier for them. When everything adds up and you’re confident it’s the right move, we’ll move on to the next stage.
Stage 3 – Choosing how to tell your patients about the change
Communicating your decision to go private is a key step. We’ll help you craft letters to your patients and sort out the mailing to be sent by email or post, depending on your preference. Your dedicated Regional Support Manager (RSM) will also give your team support and training on how to handle conversations with your patients about the move. It’s important that your patients understand why you’re making the change so they will help and advise you on how best to go about that.
There are different ways to inform your patients about the change. You might want to explain it face-to-face during their next appointment. This allows you to take your time and encourage them to join your new membership scheme. Or, if you prefer more of a blanket announcement, you could send a letter informing them that the change will come into effect from a set date. This is a quicker way of doing things but doesn’t allow for personal contact. Some practices find success with a combination of the two—discussing the change during routine visits for a few months, then following up with a letter to those who haven’t yet decided or been seen recently.
Stage 4 – Support during and after the move
We want your conversion to go well. After all, your success is our success too. That’s why we’ll give your team thorough training before the move and be on hand in practice during the early days. Your RSM will be there to hold your hand while you’re signing up your first patients onto your membership plan. They usually turn up with lunch (or biscuits, at least!) and any questions or concerns you have can be dealt with swiftly by your RSM.
Stage 5 – Help to keep moving forward
We want our relationship with you to be a long-lasting one so, our support doesn’t end once you’ve introduced your plan. We continue to help you succeed with a brilliant programme of informative and entertaining events, an extensive library of blogs and podcasts, team training, marketing materials tailored to your practice. Plus, you’ll have access to Supportal, where you can get a full overview of your plan data in realtime, download monthly statements and sign up new plan members whether they’re with you in the practice or in their own home.
As you grow, the support continues. You’ll have your dedicated RSM and a designated Relationship Support Advisor (RSA) at head office, ready to help you develop your practice and reach your goals. They bring years of experience and can offer advice, monitor progress, and keep you on track. This means help is only ever a phone call away.
Being in control of your own destiny means you can run things the way you believe they should be run. Any changes you make will be your choice and there’s no need to wait for NHS approval. One of the biggest benefits our practices report is being able to spend more time with patients, so they can get to know them better, offer a wider range of treatments, to help them achieve the healthy smile they want.
Ready to Start the Conversation?
After three decades of helping practice owners regain control over their own business we’ve been there, done that and assigned more than one t-shirt to the bin! This means we’re not just experts when it comes to making the move away from the NHS. You can count on us to be there for the long-term. So, if you’re ready to start talking about a different future with a partial or full move away, why not talk to the NHS conversion experts?
We’re ready when you are…
[You can learn more about how we can support you here, or simply give us a call on 01691 684165 or email us on info@practiceplan.co.uk
Or you can book a no-obligation one-to-one conversation here.]