Bored meeting

I was asked to attend a staff meeting at one of my newer Practices today; mainly to back up the Manager who is doing her level best to increase my hours and patient numbers.

These are never fun & this one was held in the lunch hour so glum faces all round!

Referrals have been slower than any of us would like, so she was trying to give them all a kick up the bum!

She didn't really need me there as she really went to town on them. The dentists are well aware of the pay situation as they are self employed too, but as it's the nurses & reception staff who have the main task of arranging appointments, she was particularly blunt with them.

She asked how they would like to come to work and be told at the end of the day they aren't getting paid? This helped to put it into perspective; she said that's what happens to me if I don't have patients booked in (it's not....I just don't go in, but don't get paid).

My contribution was to scowl at and guilt trip everyone to try and encourage everyone as a team to be more upfront with patients; if they have gum disease tell them that.

It's not about putting the fear of God into people, but giving their problem a name and making them take ownership of it as their problem.
I've had patients burst into tears on me when I've mentioned the word 'disease', but in this society's 'compensation culture' it would be stupid negligent of me to gloss over the facts.

The main bone of contention is the fact they have to pay privately to see me; this isn't my doing, it's just the way it is. I understand completely that some people just can't afford that, but all we are asking is for them to invest in themselves, so that we can provide better care long term.

Yes they can see the dentist for free, but often this is a limited time (as they usually run late.....a few of you blipper's will agree with me there!) so the patients don't get the treatment they need. Plus, dentists generally hate anything gum related!

Hopefully, today's meeting will have the desired effect but only time will tell.