Letters to the Editor

Congratulations on an excellent editorial, which hits the nail squarely on the head and provides a good background and insight, especially for younger dentists who might not be aware of the recent history of NHS dentistry. In response, I would be grateful to share my own observations, based on the experience in our practice and my involvement with the programme.

We were an early entrant into the Pilots in July 2011 and, following piloting, we were assigned to be a Blend B Practice in 2016. I was invited to join the National Steering Group in 2012 and the Evaluation Reference Group in 2017.

As you say, it is generally accepted that the Pilot/Prototype approach was well received clinically by patients and dental teams. But it required a very coordinated approach, which often presented management problems (eg if a patient cancelled an appointment within a sequence of appointments, the remaining appointments in the sequence may need to be rearranged). Coordinating delivery of treatment plans required high levels of communication and a clear understanding of the objectives within the practice.