Visiting the Practice
On Arrival
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Please announce your arrival to the receptionist. There are formalities to complete such as a medical health questionnaire which should be updated every appointment.
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If you are undergoing a new course of NHS treatment you will be asked to complete a NHS form prior to your arrival. All forms are now electronic. If you are unable to complete these before the appointment please contact the surgery.
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We always try to see patients at the appointed time. If you are kept waiting there is normally a good reason. We apologise for this and thank you for your patience.
Treatment Plan
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After your examination we will discuss any findings and give advice. If any treatment is necessary we will issue a treatment plan which includes the cost of the treatment. We will discuss any treatment that can be done on the NHS and also any options that you may wish to have privately. We ask for fees for treatment to be paid as the treatment is received and deposits for treatment with a laboratory procedure also need to be paid in advance.
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Appointments made as a result of your plan will be itemised. We expect at least 48 working hours cancellation of appointments which you are unable to attend so that the appointment can be reallocated. If we have persistent late cancellations or failure to attend a pre booked appointment we may cancel all further appointments at the practice. This is in fairness to our other patients who may be unable to make an appointment which is subsequently unused.
Emergency appointments
Please RING the surgery as early as possible if you are having problems. Do not E mail for emergency appointments as you may not get an appointment quickly if your e mail is not picked up for several hours. We usually can see you within 24 hours. Sometimes you will see another dentist rather than your regular dentist in an emergency. On a weekend/evening please look at our contacts page for the emergency contact telephone number. The emergencies on a weekend and on public holidays are seen in a central location, usually Hull or Scunthorpe. If you ring out of hours and would like us to contact you please leave a message and your contact telephone number and what time you can be contacted, when you can attend the surgery and any information relevant to your problem so that a triage system can be implemented to ensure appropriate appointments can be made. If you have any difficulty reaching your regular surgery try the other surgery, either Goole or Howden as the surgeries work in cooperation with each other.
Cancellations
If you have to cancel or alter an appointment we request AT LEAST 48 working HOURS NOTICE for appointments less than 20mins and 72 working HOURS NOTICE for above 20mins appointments (Please see TERMS AND CONDITIONS) . This enables us to make alternative arrangements to see other patients who are in need of urgent dental care.
Although it is never our intention, we may have to decide not to offer you treatment and remove you from NHS dental list, if you continue to fail, attend late or cancel an appointment too late for us to make alternative arrangements.
Cold Sores
If you are suffering from a cold sore on your lips or mouth and you visit is not an emergency visit we would like you to rebook the appointment for a few weeks later when the infection should have cleared. This does NOT mean you cannot attend if in pain or in an emergency.
Please ring and we can advise how to limit the time you have cold sores. This prevents the spread of the virus which is very infectious when you have an open sore.
Out of Hours
If you require any emergency dental treatment outside of our surgery hours please contact NHS Direct on 111.