DentaltownUK May 2018 - 24

Some of the best feedback we get from our
patients is that they feel welcomed and cared
for by every member of our team. Receiving
quality treatment from your dentist is expected,
but to have someone make you feel welcome
from the second you walk through the door or
make the first phone call can be the difference
between a good or great experience.
When you're recruiting or training staff,
their attitude to caring for patients should be
at the forefront of your mind.
It's important to look outside of the
treatments to the little things that make
your patient's time with you memorable. If
you are treating an older patient, ask if they
have a plan for how they are getting home.
At Town Hall Dental, we have a
partnership with a local taxi firm that provides
transportation for anybody who does not
have their own car. For our elderly visitors
and those with disabilities, this can make
a dramatic difference and provide a lasting
impact on them.
Often, when trying to improve your
practice you may choose to look at what
other practices are doing. While this can
be a wonderful way of finding things you're
missing out on, don't feel like you must stay
within the industry to find inspiration.
If you look at the hotel industry, or spas
and health centres, there can be all manner
of things they do that your practice can
benefit from.

24

MAY 2018 // dentaltownuk.com

A key part of our patient promise and
patient care policy is making sure that we
provide a unique ‹Patient Journey›. From the
moment patient makes their first appointment
with us, to the moment their leave, we want
them to feel the difference between Town
Hall Dental and a more typical practice that
they may be used to.
The ‹Patient Journey› has inspired many
within other dental practices and as a result our
care coordinators now lecture across the country
to other dentists and treatment coordinators,
working together to raise standards of care
throughout the industry. Our model of the
‹Patient Journey› is now being replicated in
practices throughout the UK.
Our attitude to patient care expands
beyond just visitors to our practice. We work
with numerous charities providing free dental
treatments and our care policy is just as
applicable to these as it is within our walls.
Our outreach team work closely with BASH
(Brighouse and Surrounding Homeless) to
provide free dental care for those sleeping
rough to treat dental pain.
Often these patients would not have any
other avenue to seek care, and we recognise
it is a crucial step in finding work and a new
job. We also work with Overgate Hospice,
a local hospice providing palliative care for
residents in Calderdale.
Any patient at Overgate is entitled to free
treatments from Town Hall Dental, with
the same high standard of care that all our
patients receive.
While your staff are the primary drivers
of a great patient experience, every part of
the practice contributes to it. The cleanliness
of your waiting room, your branding, your
website, everything is a signifier of how your
patients are treated.
Being recognised for how you treat your
patients is being recognised for how you look
at all aspects of your practice. Thankfully,
if you can get to the level where this all
illustrates how much you care, you won't need
to worry about marketing as people will want
to come to you. n
http://www.dentaltownuk.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DentaltownUK May 2018
