Patient Information Policies

Zero Tolerance Policy

Staff treating patients have the right to work free from any threat or fear of abuse, violence or forms of aggression.

The NHS nationally has agreed to a zero-tolerance policy.

Unacceptable behaviour which will not be tolerated within the dental practice includes: Actual or threatened physical violence on staff or other patients.

Psychological abuse of staff

Verbal abuse which includes shouting or swearing Racial abuse

Sexual harassment or abuse

Threats against practice personnel which occur in the workplace Theft or damage of practice property

Taking drugs or alcohol on the premises

If any patient is abusive or violent towards any member of staff or any other persons on the practice premises, the practice retains the right to have the patient removed from their list. In extreme cases, the police may also be contacted.

All incidents must be reported to Faiyaz Amla and recorded within the Significant Events Log. Any injuries will be recorded in the accident book.

Practice Payment & Charges Policy

It is the responsibility of this practice to give patients full information about the cost of their dental care before any treatment is undertaken.

A list of common treatment charges is available at reception for treatments that are provided privately and on our practice website.

We will ensure that all patients:

Are advised of what they must pay, when they should pay and how they can pay (e.g. cash, card, direct transfer)

Know what they will receive for their payment (i.e. what treatment or care) Understand their treatment is provided privately or on NHS via a treatment plan

Are given a written estimate and treatment plan on request or where treatment involves more than routine preventive examination and hygiene care

Understand their own responsibilities in terms of payment terms and how to avoid any penalty for overdue fees (missed appointment charges, late payment etc)

Are not pressured into signing agreements or paying fees

Obtain a receipt for any payments they make and can review their account details

Can talk to a staff member who can explain clearly what payments are due and what they are for

Can discuss with staff what treatment options and costs are available

Are given an estimate where a precise cost cannot be determined in advance (e.g. laboratory work) and will receive timely advice of any additional costs where appropriate

We try to make payment as straightforward as possible.

Payment & Refund Policy

Payment Method

All major debit and credit cards are accepted. (We do not accept AMEX)

Change of Details

You must inform the practice immediately of any changes to your contact details. Failure to do so will mean that we are not able to provide you with essential information and updates.

Cancellation of Courses of Treatment

If, for any reason, a course of treatment is cancelled, then we will make every reasonable effort to give the patient as much notice as possible. Oak Hill Dental and Implant Centre’s maximum liability will be limited to a refund of the advance payment fee ONLY. Refunds will be made by bank transfer. We will not accept liability for any additional costs or losses incurred by a patient or organisations, which are claimed to have arisen through treatment cancellation. We reserve the right to vary arrangements for the delivery of a treatment plan and in such cases will make reasonable efforts to inform patients in advance.

Cancellation by the Patient

You may cancel a course of treatment for which you have booked an appointment and be fully refunded all fees for treatment not yet performed; provided you give the practice a minimum of 24 hours prior notice.

If 24 hours prior notice is not received, we reserve the right to withhold the deposit amount left for the appointment.

This does not apply to NHS appointments, but we reserve the right to discontinue future care under the NHS.

We will refund the money to patients who wish to discontinue treatment at any time. A notice period of 14 days is required upon which they will be eligible for a refund of any amount paid for treatment that they did not receive.

If a patient is receiving any treatment that involves laboratory work and initial work has been carried out; i.e. if the patient is having crowns/bridges or a denture made, and the work has already been started or completed by the laboratory, a proportion of the fee taken on the preparation appointment will be kept to cover the cost of the laboratory invoice.

Please be aware that for NHS courses of treatments, the proportion of the fee is set by the NHS Business Services Authority, not the Practice.

Refunds will be processed within 31 days after receipt of your request in writing either by e-mail or post:

If you have paid for services not yet provided (appointments cancelled with more than 24hrs notice), that do not involve a laboratory fee, we will either credit your account or refund the transaction paid by the method of bank transfer.

Bad Debt Policy

This practice maintains a strict payment policy where all payments for dental treatment should be paid in full prior to the completion of treatment.

It is the discretion of the treating dentist as to whether the full payment is required before the start of treatment. Payments can be made by cash or by debit card. Credit card payments will also be accepted.

Card payments can be taken over the phone. If for whatever reason the fees are not paid, the practice will inform the patient via email/letter or email that there is money outstanding on their account and to refer to our payment policy.

A second letter or email will then be sent requesting immediate payment if payment is not paid within a 28 day period. If there has been no contact or payment within the next seven-day period then a third letter/email will be sent warning of losing the right to be seen at the practice with immediate effect.

If payment is not made within a further 24 hours, we will use a debt recovery company to recover the debt outstanding.

Patient Involvement Policy

We actively involve all our patients in every aspect of their dental care and as a practice, we aim to carry out the following;

To ensure discussions take place in an environment where conversations are not overheard, and every effort is made to ensure the patient feels comfortable and relaxed.

To identify whether communication aids are required, including the use of interpreters, to ensure that the patient fully understands explanations and discussions and can make informed choices.

To identify patient treatment needs and treatment options, identifying also what they can do to manage their care.

To discuss all care and treatment options, providing enough information on any risks involved and potential consequences of each option and, where possible, identifying relevant evidence, research, or experience.

To record discussions in the patient’s notes identifying the treatment needs, options discussed and patient’s choice.

To record the reason for and outcome of diagnostic tests and assessments are explained to the patient. These include, for example, radiographs, vitality tests, periodontal indices, and pathology tests.

To ensure all staff at the practice understand the principles of patient confidentiality and routinely follow the practice procedure for ensuring the confidentiality of patient information.

Code of Good Practice Policy

At Oak Hill Dental and Implant Centre we listen to patients’ views and learn from them. We communicate with patients in a courteous, friendly, professional manner.

Patients are provided with the standard of care that we would expect to receive ourselves and we make sure that patients receive full information about our services, their treatment and its cost.

We may refer patients for further professional advice and treatment where appropriate and we are committed to ensuring that we keep our professional skills and knowledge up to date.

In our practice, we will:

Respect our patients’ confidentiality

Aim to ensure that patients should have to wait no longer than 20 minutes to be seen. Manage our appointment system so that treatment appointments are booked no more than 2 weeks ahead

Deal with every telephone call promptly – callers will not be asked to ‘hold’ without first finding out why the call has been made

Deal with correspondence within 3 days of receipt

Provide patients with a treatment plan and estimate of costs for each new course of treatment. Full and specific consent will be gained.

Make patients aware of our policy for collecting fees. Requests for payment will always be made courteously

Make the practice policy for dealing with complaints known to patients. All complaints will be treated sympathetically and according to the agreed procedures.

Provide the highest standards of infection control

Provide any emergency treatment required during practice hours as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Cancellations, Failed and Missed Appointments

It is inevitable that sometimes you may need to cancel or rearrange your dental appointments.

We would ask patients to give as much notice as possible when cancelling an appointment so we have the opportunity to offer it to someone else although we do understand that during an emergency this is not always possible. Non-attendance and cancellations at short notice without a valid reason deprive other patients of our services.

Appointments are often wasted as people do not attend. These appointments could have been used by other patients.

After 'two' failed to attend e-mails we will advise you that we will no longer be able to book further appointments unless you go privately or re-join the NHS waiting list. (Private Appointments require a deposit in order to book the appointment)

If booking in for NHS treatment we require a deposit in order to book the appointment. This is will be an advance payment depending on the Band your treatment comes under.

An appointment is considered to have been broken if any of the following occur:

the patient fails to show up for the appointment,

the patient appears more than 10 minutes late for a scheduled appointment, or

the patient calls to cancel an appointment with too little advance notice to allow that appointment time to be rescheduled with another patient (24-48 hours will be considered to be the minimum time necessary to avoid a broken appointment).

Patients who wish to cancel dental appointments must do so a minimum of 24 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment. If less notice is given without a valid excuse, the appointment will be considered to have been broken.

Cold Sore Policy

Cold sores are common for many people in the UK. Like all viruses, they are contagious and pose a risk to others. The herpes simplex virus is spread through contact.

Cold sores usually emerge as a small ulcer-like patch on or surrounding the lip line, they can come up in a matter of hours and usually take between seven days and four weeks to heal, depending on the severity. From the time they begin to emerge to the point at which they are fully healed, they pose a contagion risk.

At Oak Hill Dental and Implant Centre we ask patients that if they have had a cold sore for less than 2 weeks, please reschedule any non-emergency dental treatment or hygienist appointments until after this contagious period has passed. This is not only because of the high risk of spreading the virus but also because your lips may feel sore and could crack or bleed during treatment.

If urgent dental treatment is required (you are in pain and need immediate attention), our dentists will request that your cold sore be protected with a cold sore plaster to minimise the risk of cross- infection during emergency dental treatment.

If you do get a cold sore and you have a dental or hygienist appointment arranged, please call the practice with as much notice as possible, to reschedule any non-emergency treatment. You will not be charged a late cancellation fee if you cancel due to a cold sore.

Access & Emergency Treatment Policy

Oak Hill Dental and Implant Centre is open to treat patients during the following hours: Monday: 0900 & 1700

Tuesday: 0900 & 1700

Wednesday: 0900 & 1900

Thursday: 0900 & 1700

Friday: 0900 & 1700

Saturday: 0900 & 1600

Patients who feel they have a dental emergency will be assessed at the point of contact (either over the telephone or face-to-face at reception). The practice is under no obligation to see patients with a toothache. Toothache is not classed as an emergency (see below or emergency definitions).

At Oak Hill Dental and Implant Centre we will endeavour to see patients with pain, swelling or trauma within 48 hours of initial contact, where possible. This applies to patients who attend for examinations on a regular basis. If we are working at full capacity at any given time, we will manage the patient and refer them to another service if necessary.

Patients who are currently undergoing treatment and who have pain or swelling will be offered an appointment within 48 hours of initial contact.

During out-of-hours, everyone can access help and advice 24 hours a day through the NHS 111 service.

Please note we cannot guarantee it will be your usual provider as emergency cover out of hours may be on a rota basis between other registered private practices within the UK.

Definition of emergency

Fractured jaws – affects speech, teeth may not meet properly, swelling inside mouth, limited mobility, pain etc. Most commonly happens after an accident, blow to the chin etc.

Uncontrolled Bleeding – Any bleeding that cannot be controlled by firm continuous pressure from a pack for 10 minutes may need suturing. Most commonly happens after extraction, due to infection or alcohol, aspirin, drugs etc.

Loss of consciousness – No matter how brief, anyone who was unresponsive may have suffered internal brain damage that could worsen if left without investigation. Most commonly happens after a blow to the head or accident. (Please attend your nearest A&E department)

NHS Registration and Waiting List Policy [England]

Due to such high demand for NHS dental treatment and our limited capacity, keeping up to date with your regular dental appointments is essential in order to remain an active patient. Any patient who has not attended for over 2 years will be removed from our current NHS patient list and may need to join a waiting list.

Oak Hill Dental and Implant Centre would recommend booking the next appointment before you leave the practice to ensure you don’t forget. We will aim to remind patients of their upcoming appointments either via phone, text or email depending on your recorded preferences. It is also recommended to keep us informed if your contact details change such as when you move house so that our communications are received.

New Patient Acceptance Policy (If we have the capacity to accept - Please enquire about NHS Waiting List)

We accept all NHS fee-paying patients.

The practice does not refuse to treat anyone on the grounds of: Race

Religion Gender Sex Age

Sexual orientation Appearance Disability

Medical or Dental Condition

We offer NHS-exempt treatments for the following categories:

Patients who claim low-income benefits; Children under 18 years of age;

Patients who are under 19 years of age and in full-time education; Patients who are pregnant or have had a baby within the last 12 months.

If you don't belong to the above categories, then you will be classified as a fee-paying patient.

NHS patients are required to sign a form at the beginning and end of each treatment. All patients who are exempt from paying NHS fees will be asked to show proof of benefit received.

Note: You will not be exempt from paying because you receive: Incapacity Benefit, contribution- based Employment and Support Allowance, contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit or Pension Credit savings credit, when paid on their own. Medical conditions do not exempt you from payment for dental treatment.

Continuity of Care

You will be advised which dentist you will be seeing when you book your first appointment.

In subsequent appointments, you will be offered the first available dentist unless you request for a particular dentist, we will try our best to accommodate you.

Some of our practices have only one dentist, however, in any circumstance that we must place a locum dentist in that site (e.g. illness, holidays) you will be advised of this change.