Wonky Teeth and NHS Inequalities

My son has 'wonky teeth'. My wife took him to the dentist (on the NHS). She, the dentist that is, suggested that a specialist should come and take a look at him, to decide if he needed braces . Wife and son agreed.

Six weeks later he went back to the dentist for his assessment. Turns out he could benefit from treatment but didn't qualify for free (NHS) treatment - "he's just on the wrong side of the access threshold". We would need to pay privately for the treatment. Wife asked how much. £2700 was the reply. Wife walked out in a daze.

Now I have a friend who is a dentist. I rang to ask for advice. "Who did the assessment?" he asked. "Mr X" I replied. " Well, he only does private work, why were you seeing him? You should go back to your dentist and insist on a proper NHS referral" he suggested. "I thought that was what we were having in the first place, thanks for the advice" I said.

We followed the advice. Last week my son went to the local DGH for another assessment. This time by someone who is employed by the NHS. He was still borderline but, after a bit of humming and harring, he was accepted for treatment. No charge.

My dentist friend saved me £2,500! Trouble is most people don't have a dentist for a friend, or a GP, cardiologist or social worker for that matter. What happens then?

Perhaps they might contact their local NHS PALS office? I didn't think of this, which is interesting in itself. I've just tried to contact them now, out of curiosity. According to the national PALS website, my local office is 'full-time staffed', but it only deals with written enquiries!

There must be tens of thousands of people who each day feel 'adrift' in the labyrinth that is the NHS, stoically or angrily accepting 'their lot'. Its mid 2009. We need to do better. Perhaps it's time for a professionally run national telephone and online patient agent service that can quickly source good, geographically relevant. sources of advice to help people already 'adrift' in the system review their situations,clarify options and become more assertive 'customers' ?

nhsnhs accessdentist

Comments

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[Katy Coxhead]

What an excellent suggestion. A professional and easily accessed help line that had regional/local knowledge would go a long way to helping patients use the NHS effectively /efficiently. As a nurse with many years of Primary and Community Care experience I spend a lot of my time explaining to friends, neighbours and family how to get the best out of the NHS, this appears as an impenetratable organisation to anyone who is not intimately connected to its functioning.

[Steve Pashley]

Thanks Katy. Glad you like it. Steve