Buckinghamshire Priority Dental Service A guide to our dental services for new and existing patients Welcome to Buckinghamshire Priority Dental Service. This leaflet contains information about our service, how to make an appointment and who to contact for further information or assistance. You can check one of the following sections to find the information you need: The Dental Team Services available Specialised services Appointment information Your rights and responsibilities Useful contacts, including for out-of-hours care. The Dental Team Buckinghamshire Priority Dental Service (BPDS) employs dentists, dental nurses, dental therapists, oral health promoters, a dental diploma team and reception staff who will always aim to provide a high standard of care and service for patients. The Clinical Director of Dental Services is Dr. J M Little and Mrs. N. Bell is the Operational Manager. Services available Hertfordshire and the South Midlands and Thames Valley NHS Local Area Teams have agreed for BPDS to provide NHS Page 1 of 7
services for priority patients, who live within their catchment area and who fit within the criteria listed below: Adults and children with learning disabilities Adults and children with complex medical problems Adults and children with severe mental health problems Children with severe behavioural management problems Adults and children with very severe anxiety and dental phobias. Patients who fit the above criteria must also be unable to access their dental care from the General Dental Services. For patients who pay NHS charges there are three standard charges for all NHS dental treatment. Dental treatment is allocated to one of three bands and the charge varies according to which band the treatment you have is in. You will find posters in our waiting rooms which will show information about the cost of NHS treatment, or see the NHS website: www.nhs.uk Specialised services We also provide the following specialist services, where appropriate; treatment with sedation or general anaesthesia and home visits. All of our clinics are accessible to disabled patients but patients who require a ground floor surgery should initially try and obtain care with a general dental practitioner (GDP) and only be referred to BPDS if there is no ground floor access within a reasonable distance. Some of the BPDS surgeries also have hoists for those who need help transferring to the dental chair. Page 2 of 7
Receiving treatment Referral If you require dental treatment you will need to be referred to our service. This can be done by your GDP, GP, health or social care worker. Self-referrals will be accepted if it is not possible to obtain a referral from one of the other routes. Reminders and recalls At the end of your course of treatment, the BPDS dentist will discuss with you when you will need to have your next dental examination (which may not be with a BPDS dentist). NHS dentists now follow guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). This means you will be advised to attend as often as is needed to keep your teeth and gums healthy and you may no longer need a check-up every six months. Cancellations If you are unable to keep your appointment please let us know as soon as possible (at least 24 hours notice) so that we can give the appointment to someone else. Missed appointments waste NHS time. If you miss more than two appointments, we may not be able to complete your treatment or offer you NHS care in the future and you may be referred back to your GDP. You are responsible for: Giving at least one week s notice if you have to cancel or change an appointment. We will not charge you for missed appointments but if you miss two appointments we may no longer be able to offer you treatment and you may be discharged from BPDS. Following your dentist s advice to prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Paying your bill promptly. Page 3 of 7
Bringing proof of entitlement when claiming help with the cost of NHS treatment. If no proof of exemption is provided, you will be asked to pay for any treatment. Patients found to have incorrectly claimed help with the cost of NHS dental treatment may receive a penalty charge. Treating our staff with courtesy and respect*. *Please note we may refuse to treat patients who are violent, abusive, or fail to pay their bills. Health records Health records are a special form of personal data. Access to health records is strictly regulated by the Data Protection Act (1988) and the Access to Health Records Act (1990). Useful Contacts If you would like to comment about any aspect of our service please contact: Natalie Bell Operational Manager Eaglestone Dental Clinic Eaglestone Health Centre Standing Way MK6 5AZ You can get support with making a complaint from: Your NHS dental clinic The Complaints Manager, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Hospital Campus, Standing Way, Eaglestone,, MK6 5NG or 01908 243568 Your local Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS) Citizens Advice Website: www.nhs.uk Page 4 of 7
Contact details for all clinics Clinics in : Monday Friday: 8.45am 4.45pm (Closed for lunch 12.30pm 1pm) Eaglestone Dental Clinic Eaglestone Health Centre Standing Way MK6 5AZ 01908 694599 Urgent Care Centre MK Hospital Campus Fleming Drive MK6 5NG 01908 303034 Shipley Court Dental Clinic Shipley Court Health Centre Marsh End Road Newport Pagnell MK16 8EA 01908 210874 Neath Hill Dental Clinic 1 Tower Crescent Neath Hill MK14 6JY 01908 695332 Clinics in Aylesbury Vale: Monday Friday: 8.45am 4.45pm (Closed for lunch 12.30pm 1pm) Brookside Dental Clinic Station Way East Aylesbury HP20 2SR 0844 225 2411 Bedgrove Dental Clinic Camborne Centre Jansel Square Aylesbury HP21 7ET 01296 395113 Page 5 of 7
Buckingham Dental Clinic Buckingham Hospital High Street Buckingham MK18 1NU 01280 823693 Clinics in South Buckinghamshire: Monday Friday: 8.45am 4.45pm (Closed for lunch 12.30pm 1pm) Oakridge Dental Clinic Oakridge Health Centre 240 Desborough Road High Wycombe HP11 2QR 0844 225 2406 Marlow Dental Clinic Marlow Health Centre Glade Road Marlow SL7 1DJ 01628 471348 Out-of-hours care Amersham Dental Clinic Amersham Health Centre Chiltern Avenue Amersham HP6 5AY 01494 434605 If you need urgent dental treatment between the hours of: Monday Friday: 6.30pm 9.30pm Weekends and bank holidays: 9am 5pm You can telephone NHS Direct on 111 Page 6 of 7
Tips for healthy teeth: Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste Keep sugary foods and drinks to meal times only Keep to a minimum the amount of sugar you eat and drink each day Visit your dentist regularly. Your Information Keep a note of all important dental information: Name of Dentist: Address of Dentist: Postcode: Telephone: Date of last visit: Notes: Author: Priority Dental Service Version No: 8.2 Date Produced: December 2010 Review Date: September 2014 jf/18.6.14 This document is also available in other languages, large print, Braille, audio format and Easy Read upon request. Email: communications.cnwl@nhs.net Page 7 of 7