This is how to make the NHS work – Competition!

When Alfred Huynen was preparing to open a new dental practice he was forced to rip up the rulebook on marketing. Instead of advertising the service that he intended to provide, he concealed it, fearing that his acceptance of NHS patients would prompt huge queues.Mr Huynen’s practice in Cove, Aberdeen, opened three weeks ago, spurning private patients in favour of those who are subsidised by the health service. During the five months that it took to build the surgery he kept the function of the building secret in an attempt to prevent long queues from forming outside. He even let some neighbouring businesses think that it was a takeaway. Now that word has leaked out, the practice has registered 3,000 people in three weeks.

Scots have long had a problem with accessing NHS dentists as practitioners often choose to go private instead of carrying out less lucrative health service work. The SNP government has worked hard to address the shortage by boosting the salary of NHS dentists, who can now earn up to £65,000. The poor provision means that surgeries who accept health service patients can look forward to lots of work.

Mr Huynen, an accountant originally from Belgium, said: “There’s not big money to be made on the NHS but it is a steady income. The massive waiting list shows there is a big market out there for an NHS surgery.”

His practice has four Portuguese dentists and a fifth will start work next week. He hopes to take on 10,000 patients over the next year.

Mr Huynen said that people were travelling hundreds of miles because they were so desperate for an NHS dentist. “I can’t believe the distances people are coming from,” he said.

“The phone starts ringing at about 8am and it doesn’t stop. It’s great to be able to offer them a service. I didn’t want people queueing up outside the surgery at five in the morning. I don’t think they should have to go through that to see a dentist. They shouldn’t have to wait in line.”

How Cool Is This?

An accountant from Belgium opens a new surgery with four Portugese dentists and registers 3,000 patients in three weeks and expects to have 10,000 in a year.

Now if he’s as bright as I think he is he’ll do a bunch of other stuff there, particularly the other stuff the NHS finds difficult e.g CBT and before long he’ll have his own multi clinic.

I’m definitely in the wrong business.

Posted via web from stevensreeves

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Tagged as: Aberdeen, Alfred Huynen, Belgium, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Dentistry, Health, National Health Service, NHS