The Tooth Hurts
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Healthwatch Bromley wanted to gain a baseline understanding of the access to and provision of dental services within Bromley. They undertook surveys and mystery shopping. They reached 660 people.
ccess to both NHS and Private dental practices is not a major issue in the borough for either adults or children. In addition there were no adverse comments about transport to get to a practice, however there were some concerns about the lack of parking for patients at a few practices.
Appointment systems appear to be working well and patients are seen within acceptable timescales. A majority of patients book appointments in advance but those who book them when needed did not report any issues. There were two patients who required emergency treatment and went to A&E.
The practices who engaged with our survey reviewed their patient database and confirmed that on average 76.83% of patients are NHS. This is lower than the figure in Lewisham where NHS patients represent 84.83% of patients.
Access to information on NHS banding and charges are available but this is not always self-evident. It would be helpful if all practices ensured that the information was readily available for their clients. In addition patients should be made aware of the treatment costs prior to the commencement of work and the relevant options should be clearly explained. It is a concern that over 41% of people stated that they were not given this information at an appropriate time. In terms of cost having an impact on treatment, this is clearly an issue but it is better in Bromley when compared to two neighbouring boroughs. It is recognised that some more complex private treatments will be outside the terms of a general charging tariffs but all general charges should be displayed in a public area within the surgery.
A large number of patients were not aware that they could have a written dental plan.
Complaints information is available but similar to the charges these are not always displayed with only 30% of patients being aware of the process. This is a low percentage and needs to be addressed.
The dental practices in Bromley have improved accessibility for disabled people with either step free access or they have made ramps available. Healthwatch did not receive any negative feedback from the general public regarding access for people with disabilities.
The patients were asked of the levels of satisfaction with the service that they received from their dentist with over 87% saying that they were either satisfied or very satisfied. There were 10.38% who were neutral and 1.92% who were dissatisfied.