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27 Dec 2017 • Blog, NHS

Paul Worskett discusses the level of financial risk associated with running a prototype B practice

Contract reform remains a source of uncertainty and one of the issues that is still unknown is what level of financial risk dentists may face when, or if, it is implemented. A measure of success…

13 Dec 2017 • Blog, Marketing and Design

How in tune are you with your customers’ communication needs?

I recently received a promotional letter from a well-known dental magazine regarding advertising opportunities within their publication. On the back of the letter, encouraging me to respond, was a faxback form. A faxback form?!? I’m…

4 Dec 2017 • Marketing and Design

Forget Christmas, let’s talk about Easter!

My youngest daughter, Molly, works as a graphic designer for Lush, the ethical, handmade cosmetics company. She helps design the company’s packaging and some of their marketing materials. Guess what she was designing in May…

24 Nov 2017 • Marketing and Design

Are you exceeding your patients’ expectations?

I was recently invited to a VIP event at my local car dealer – where I had bought my current car. The invite, which came in a beautiful parchment envelope tied with a red ribbon,…

23 Nov 2017 • Blog, Dentistry Confidence Monitor

NHS Insights Panel: Are new dentists ready for the ‘lion’s den’?

The results from the latest NHS Confidence Monitor survey revealed deep levels of unhappiness among NHS dentists and anxiety about complaints and litigation across both private and NHS sectors. Despite being anxious in this area,…

16 Nov 2017 • Dental Health

How well do you know your mouth?

More than 1,800 people lose their lives to mouth cancer each year in the UK and it is believed that many of these people could be saved if the cancer had been diagnosed and treated…

15 Nov 2017 • Blog, NHS

Switching plan provider gave me the support I need for my practice’s future

We decided to leave our existing plan provider as we were no longer confident in their long-term future. I already knew of Practice Plan’s professional standing and I have known Jayne, one of their Regional…

9 Nov 2017 • Blog, NHS

Ben Atkins shares his experience as a director of a prototype blend B practice

Since April 2016 two different blends of remuneration have been tested out by practices (a total of 80 are currently involved) as part of the contract reform process. The difference lies in the proportion of…

3 Nov 2017 • Practice Management, HR & Employment Law

An insight into a day of ‘Top Hats, Toast and Moments of Truth’

With the Practice Plan Workshop Tour now in full swing, we wondered what insights and top tips have practices come away with so far? We asked Liz Barraclough, Practice Manager at Ilkley Dental Care in…

2 Nov 2017 • Blog, Marketing and Design

Are you getting the most from your Facebook ads?

Facebook adverts are a key tool for dental practices to reach prospective new patients and engage their existing patients who use social media. In fact, if you want to grow your business, you cannot avoid…

25 Oct 2017 • HR & Employment Law

Expert advice on handling staff absence due to stress

Sarah Buxton, specialist HR and employment solicitor, examines the sensitive issue of how to manage stress-related absence in your practice. Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for 11.7 million working days lost in 2015/16, according to…

6 Oct 2017 • Blog, Marketing and Design

Tips for getting the most from your homepage

You’re probably aware that most potential new patients will visit your website as their first port of call when searching for a dentist. However, you might not be aware that you only have a matter…

29 Sep 2017 • Practice Management

Three top tips on how to protect your practice against cybercrime

Cybercrime – is this on your radar, or do you operate in ignorant bliss that this will ‘never happen to me’? As a practice manager or business owner of patient data, the threat of cybercrime…

21 Sep 2017 • Blog, NHS

Two dentists look back on their move away from the NHS

Moving away from the NHS is something many dentists spend a lot of time considering. Here, Practice Plan shares the experiences of two principal dentists who introduced private dentistry into their NHS practice in different…

15 Sep 2017 • Practice Management

How to turn your patients into brand advocates

Les Jones, Creative Director at Practice Plan, looks at how creating a memorable experience can transform patients into advocates for your brand and your practice…

7 Sep 2017 • Practice Management, HR & Employment Law

What a difference 30 years can make

Zoe Close, Area Sales Manager for Practice Plan, reflects back on how practice life has changed over her 30-year dentistry career. In the past 30 years, the world has changed significantly. Back in 1987, when…

6 Sep 2017 • Blog, NHS

Judith Husband talks about the likelihood of the introduction of time-limited contracts within the new NHS contract.

The idea of time-limited contracts was proposed by the Government two years ago as a way of improving market competition and efficiency. A source of much debate since then, we asked Judith Husband, who has…

1 Sep 2017 • Practice Management

What do you know that you don’t know – and why you should find out

Richard Scarborough, Area Sales Manager at Practice Plan, shares the key measures dentists need to be monitoring and explores what they can reveal about your practice Prevention is better than cure is something that shouldn’t…