Commercial Director Simon Reynolds caught up with Dr Daz Singh to discuss some of the positive and simple changes the Ollie and Darsh team have made to put their practice firmly on the path to success.
Simon: How did you get to where you are professionally, and what’s your practice’s ethos?
Daz: We’re a fully private health clinic, although we opened as a squat almost ten years ago. Over time, we concluded that we wanted to offer our patients more predictable, aesthetic restoration options, which meant moving away from the NHS. Our ethos encompasses minimally invasive dentistry, where we aim to help improve people’s confidence and smile.
Simon: What do you think is the secret to achieving success in dental practice?
Daz: For me, it’s having a great team around you. Our success must be credited to the team’s effective communication, understanding of our goals, and support in achieving them.
Simon: Why is the right dental plan important for the practice and patients?
Daz: As we grew the practice, we noticed that while patients were often up for restorative treatment, they weren’t very good at attending check-ups and hygiene appointments to maintain their new smile. It seemed to us that patients didn’t understand the value of following up with us, so we wanted to implement something that would help them see the attraction of coming back to see us regularly. Bringing a patient plan into the practice has helped us to achieve that.
Simon: Why did you switch practice plan providers, and what were you looking for from the plan?
Daz: We were looking to make the workflow seamless. I’m a big fan of efficiency, and with Patient Plan Direct, we can set up the plan we think is right for a patient in the surgery online, there and then, and the computer system takes care of the rest. We also wanted something that used our brand – Ollie and Darsh – rather than a plan provider’s. Then there was the value issue – we were looking to be as cost-effective as possible, and some providers had added frills that we didn’t want or need to pay for.
Simon: How did you learn about the bulk change process? How did you find it going through?
Daz: The option of using bulk change – allowing for Direct Debits to be transferred automatically ‘in the background’ from one provider to another, without patients having to sign a new Direct Debit instruction – was brought to our attention by your team at Patient Plan Direct. The process was very simple and quick. Patient Plan Direct liaised with our previous provider to manage the transfer of Direct Debits at the appropriate time, ensuring there was no break in collection. Patient Plan Direct managed the entire mailing fulfilment, putting together a letter to patients on our behalf explaining the details of the new plan arrangements and transfer concisely but thoroughly. We had no queries from patients, no workload was put on the practice team, and retention following the transfer was extremely high.
Simon: What differences has the practice plan switch made?
Daz: It’s made a massive difference by increasing our membership levels, which means our schedules are busier than they used to be. And we’ve been able to look after our patients better on a clinical level. That’s because we’ve now got patients who buy into the whole aspect of care over the longer term rather than having some restorative work done and then disappearing.
Simon: What advice would you offer anyone considering a switch from one practice plan provider to another?
Daz: There is naturally some trepidation in considering moving from one provider to another. You need to do it for the right reasons, so it is important to think about what you want to achieve. We didn’t want a branded plan from one of the big providers; rather, we wanted to use our branding, which Patient Plan Direct supports. We wanted control over the plans we provide to patients, so in some ways, you could think of it as us outsourcing the administrative aspect. Our choice also has an economic aspect, as we wanted to add value for patients. All those prerequisites were met by Patient Plan Direct, and anyone looking to switch practice pan provider needs to find the company that fits their needs and future goals.