Hexham Dental Clinic
Thinking about moving from NHS dentistry to private practice?
In this video testimonial, you’ll hear from Dr Jim Skyes, a principal dentist who faced the same fears many clinicians have when considering an NHS-to-private conversion. When he first bought his practice, it operated with just one surgery, but he could clearly see the potential to grow into a four-surgery private practice and to offer not only high-quality care, but also cosmetic treatments and Invisalign.
Like many dentists working under the NHS, he found the pressure of UDAs draining his energy and impacting both his wellbeing and the standard of care he wanted to deliver. Speed became the only metric, and he felt that wasn’t right for his patients, his business, or his long-term health. He strongly believed in the NHS and remained committed for many, many years, but the system no longer gave him the support or flexibility needed to maintain the level of dentistry he valued.
Going private meant he could finally prioritise what mattered: more time with patients, meaningful discussions about treatment options, and consistent high-quality care. But the decision didn’t come easily. He worried about how patients would react, whether the practice would remain financially viable, and how clawback might impact the transition.
After seeing several colleagues successfully convert from NHS to private with the assistance of Plan Direct, he got in touch. He found the conversion process supportive, reassuring and expertly handled. There was no obligation to sign up, simply the opportunity to get expert advice and understand what options were available before making a decision.
Today, his practice is thriving with stable finances, a sustainable workload, and a far better work-life balance with a thriving practice team. Most importantly, he has rediscovered his passion for dentistry and enjoys his work more than ever.
Watch the video
He has no regrets about leaving the NHS. If you’re considering an NHS-to-private conversion, his story may be exactly what you need to hear. Watch his testimonial to learn how moving private transformed his practice, his wellbeing, and his future.
All clinical testimonials are provided by GDC-registered professionals. Dr Jim Sykes (GDC: 73309).
Q&A with Principal Dr Jim Skyes
When you were a purely NHS practice, what motivated you to look for an alternative way of working?
Our goal has always been to provide excellent quality dentistry, to treat people as we’d like to be treated ourselves, and for our practice name to become synonymous with the best dentistry in the local area.
Anyone who has worked in the NHS knows it can be a challenge from time to time. I think the system’s broken, but we work hard not to let that get in the way of looking after people properly. However, I was struggling with the workload and I couldn’t always do the dentistry I wanted to do.
At the same time, our patients were becoming increasingly more interested in what you might call cosmetic treatments, including Invisalign and implants, and it seemed natural to move towards that.
How did you go about making that change?
A good friend of ours had been working with Patient Plan Direct and suggested I speak to the local Business Development Manager, Janice Charlton. So, I had an initial meeting with her, and she looked at how we were working and what we could achieve with a private dentistry offering.
She introduced the idea that just one of us could move over to private dentistry and the rest of the team could continue to provide NHS dentistry. That meant we could maintain the financial security offered by the UDA system and continue to serve our patients, committed to remaining within the NHS, but also branch out.
We actually looked at lots of different providers before we made our choice. I think getting the experiences of other practices and finding out how they were supported both during the process and after formed the basis of our decision. But also, Janice herself played no small part – she made life as easy as could be. In fact, the transition to mixed practice was so much easier than we had anticipated.
How did you communicate the potential for change to the team?
I think, generally speaking, that people don’t like change. That said, we’re very lucky that we’ve got a really good, supportive team who are happy with the direction of the practice.
To make sure everyone was kept in the loop, we arranged a meeting with Patient Plan Direct and closed for an afternoon to share our ideas with the team and to prepare for change. Janice’s experience meant that she was able to answer everyone’s questions and to guide us on how to field patient queries, too.
Was any part of the decision-making cost-related?
Cost was an issue, but not the driving factor. I’m aware that Patient Plan Direct is significantly cheaper than some other competitors. I think that may have been off-putting for me in some ways had I not met Janice and seen for myself that it’s no reflection of the level of service and experience they offer to their clients. Actually, the service I’ve received from Patient Plan Direct has far exceeded my expectations.
How did Patient Plan Direct help you succeed?
Now that you have completed the transition period, what advice could you offer to any NHS dentists thinking about making a change?
I think you need to identify not just where you are now, but where you want to be. Have a clear vision about what you want to achieve. Talk to the team at Patient Plan Direct team, because they can help you achieve that vision. But you’ve got to have team vision to begin with.
What’s next for you and the practice?
I think we’ve got a huge increase coming our way in in terms of cosmetic treatment and my new schedule allows me to help patients pursue those options. Instead of being booked up for six to eight weeks in advance, I’m now booked for one to two weeks. So, I’m in a position where I can take on new patients and start doing the kind of dentistry that excites me. And it’s a lovely place to be.
Weighing up NHS versus private dentistry?
It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
Patient Plan Direct’s ‘principal or associate-only move’ allows the team to weigh the benefits of either an all-private or mixed offering, without losing the financial security of the UDA-based contract or upsetting any patients who would prefer to be treated on the NHS.
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