Bexley Orthodontic Practice - Chapel Road Orthodontics Practice

39 Chapel Road
Bexleyheath
Kent. DA7 4HW
Telephone: 0208 303 6836
Fax: 0208 303 4020
Email: reception@bexleyortho.co.uk

NHS waiting list policy

At Chapel Road, we are very proud of the work we do and the results speak for themselves.

Each year, our practice receives around 2,500 new patient referrals from over 100 dentists in the Southeast London / West Kent area - that's about 50 per week - a very high rate of referral indeed.

All new patients are seen personally by Dr Horobin - if he works really hard, he can sometimes see up to 40 in a week.

So, due to the ever increasing popularity of the practice, referrals are coming in faster than they can be seen.

In addition, since the government's reforms of NHS dentistry in April 2006, our NHS contract is for a fixed number of cases per year - we are not able to see more, thus further contributing to the waiting time for new patients.

This has inevitable consequences:-
We regret that there is a wait for free NHS new patient appointments and the wait constantly lengthens despite attempts to reduce it.

For the current length of our NHS waiting list, see FAQ's no. 2.

Some Reassurance:-
We would like to point out that we really do carry out enormous amounts of NHS orthodontic work - our 3 orthodontists start over 800 NHS treatment cases each year and over 1,800 NHS new patients are seen each year - these are very impressive totals which few other practices can match.

We also carry out increasing amounts of private treatment - there is no wait for a private assessment or for private treatment.

The way the list works:-

NHS referrals are placed on our waiting list and are seen in strict order of arrival. The only exception to this is where, for genuine clinical reasons, the referring dentist considers that an urgent opinion is required - for example, where advice on the urgent extraction of teeth is requested.

You must be under 16 to be placed on our NHS new patient waiting list. Patients of 16 years or over will only be offered a private assessment.

NHS treatment, for routine cases, is available up to 18 years of age. Complex cases may be referred on to the hospital service, as necessary.

Patients who wish to be seen quickly are advised that we offer private assessments for a very reasonable and all inclusive fee of £98.

You will be offered an appointment on the next available private session - usually within a few weeks - and treatment can subsequently be carried out privately or under NHS arrangements.

Please note that patients seen privately, who opt for NHS treatment, will be transferred back onto the waiting list.

To obtain a private assessment, contact the receptionist on 0208 303 6836 or e-mail us - remember to quote your referral reference, if you have one.

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