Practice fees and payments policy

The prompt collection of fees is crucial to maintaining cash flow and keeping the practice operational. All members of the dental team are responsible for ensuring that patients are fully informed about the fees that they are likely to pay and when those payments will be due.

This policy describes the practice procedure for advising patients of the fees payable for their dental care and for collecting payments.

Information on fees

We are committed to ensuring that patients are given sufficient information about the costs associated with their care to allow them to make informed decisions. Where changes to treatment are agreed with a patient, we ensure that any cost implications are explained. An indicative price list of treatments available at the practice is displayed in the waiting room and published on the practice website.

All new patients and patients who are returning to the practice are given information on patient charges and an indicative price list with their practice information leaflet. The practice information leaflet describes how patients can pay for their care.

Estimates and bills

Before any treatment is undertaken, the treatment options and associated costs are explained in full to the patient in a way that the patient understands. The patient is allowed time to consider the information provided and to ask questions.

A written treatment plan and estimate of the costs are provided for all dental treatments. Details of any fees incurred and payments made are recorded in the patient’s clinical records and checked at each visit. Payments that remain outstanding are also recorded. Where appropriate, patients are given an itemised bill.

Payments

The practice offers patients a range of payment options, including payment by cash, credit or debit cards. Credit/debit card payments are processed by Global Pay.

Notices explaining this are in the practice leaflet and patients are informed of the charge before any payment by credit/debit card is taken.

Our normal policy is to request patients to pay a deposit before starting treatment and pay the balance on completion. Patients are reminded about our payment policy when they make an appointment.

For longer courses of treatment, patients may be offered the option to pay for their treatment by instalments. This must be agreed in full by J Dhillon. If a patient has a complaint about a credit arrangement, the practice complaints procedure should be followed. If the complaint cannot be resolved in this way, the patient should be advised of their right to take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Whenever a payment is taken, the patient must be given a full itemised and dated receipt.
If a patient offers to pay part of the full cost, the part-payment should be accepted but the patient must be advised that the amount paid is not accepted as full-and-final settlement. The patient should be given a statement showing the original invoice amount and date, the date and amount of the part-payment, and the amount still outstanding.

Cancellation Policy

At Hoxton Dental we will require a deposit when you book an appointment. This will be deducted from your bill for the relevant treatment at your next visit. We understand that things sometimes come up and that you may need to make changes to your appointment. We will always be as flexible as possible with our patients – that’s why the deposit will be refunded if you subsequently cancel the appointment with more than 48 hours’ notice.

However, we reserve the right to retain your deposit in case of late cancellations (any cancellation with less than 48 hours’ notice). This may sound strict, but quite simply if you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice it is very difficult for us to rebook your appointment slot or slots which means that we are unlikely to treat another patient in your place. This means that our team will not be treating any patients, but we’ll still have to pay them all and all of our running costs, so we will genuinely be significantly out of pocket, and it means that lovely patients just like you will have had to wait longer than they needed to for an appointment.

We will always try to be sensitive to personal circumstances in the event of late cancellations.

Outstanding payments

A regular check of the treatments provided against the payments received is undertaken by J Dhillon and reminders sent to patients who have missed payments.

If no payment is received within 4 weeks, a reminder will be sent inviting the patient to contact the practice regarding payment options.

If, following the second reminder, no payment is received, a final reminder letter will be sent and the patient advised that further failure to make a payment may result in the practice instructing a debt collection agency or taking legal proceedings. Details of the agency will be provided to ensure that the patient knows who may contact them at a later date.

If, following the final reminder, no payment is received, J Dhillon will consider how to progress the matter. Action may include the engagement of a reputable debt collection agency or formal legal action. In extreme circumstances and at the sole discretion of J Dhillon, the debt may be written off.

The patient will be informed that, for the purposes of collecting the debt, their details may be passed to a third party.

Fees

Here is a guide to our fees. If you don’t find something that you’re after, please contact us to discuss and always keep an eye out for special offers!

New patient check up (including small film X-rays) from £75
Regular check up £50 (excluding X-rays)
Children’s check up from £20
Composite fillings from £95
Temporary fillings from £45
Crowns from £650
Bridges from £950 for 2 units
Veneers from £650
Tooth extraction from £150
Invisalign from £2500
Tooth whitening from £295
Dentures from £450
Root canal treatments from £350
Hygiene services from £75
Fillers from £350
Anti wrinkle injections from £175

 

Date: 1st January 2022
Review date: 1st January 2023