Warning : Long thread on my recent pondering..
As a private practice we are getting patients calling to postpone ...understandably.
All we can do is be there for those patients that want and need to be seen.

Income will be down for private practices so whilst I fully agree that NHS targets should be looked at the situation in my mind is quite simple.
Paying NHS practices the full amount but reducing targets puts pressure on private practices too.

And whilst we may have the capacity to see the patient this will depend on affordability rather than access. There is also no incentive for NHS practices to ‘step up to the mark’ and see their own patients if they are being paid fully.

Is it not better to hold off on claw backs for those that fall short & look to gaining evidence on why they were unable to reach their targets? This would wean out the ‘chancers’
It may sound simplistic & possibly harsh but every dentist has targets to meet be they private or NHS

Sometimes you just have to get on with it and having a target, be it a certain amount in the pot to pay bills (private) or seeing a certain number of patients to be paid (NHS), helps you to perform better and achieve it.

We are all professionals in this together. NHS or Private .. it doesn’t matter.

Put patients dental needs and their safety first. The rest is secondary.