Warning – Opinions enclosed

Hello again

It’s another week in austerity land, and our glorious leader (who has replaced the previous glorious leader) is asking for your opinions. Yes that’s right, they want to know what you THINK. It’s like a huge country wide version of that pointless programme “Question time”.

Your government would like you, the public to nominate laws and regulations they would like to see abolished. It’s all Radio 4 seem to be talking about at the moment, and it’s absolutely masterful.

Masterful????

Yes, masterful. The British public (especially the middle class) loves to chunter. We might not be any good at football, but boy can we tell you our opinions. Well here’s my mindless opinion.............. nothing will come of this.

It’s a smoke screen. It’s a way of saying “See, we are listening.” Yes they might alter one or two things to try and prove this exercise had a point, but no great changes will amount from this. It is simply a tool to divert your attention and give the media another means to tell you how to think.

You didn’t think this was being done for your benefit did you? Hell, I even found myself getting wrapped up in the spin........ for about 5 minutes. But that’s the amazing thing about radios, they come with off buttons. If only we used them more often. Now how’s that for an opinion?

You see, we are about to enter a very difficult period in the history of this country. If you think the public spending cuts being proposed are harsh, well you aint seen nothing yet. These are just the appetisers, mere canapés. The main course arrives next year.

For a while there, I actually thought the government was going to try and hyperinflate away our debt. But with billions being pulled from public spending, and banks still refusing to lend, the numbers show we are heading in the opposite direction. That’s not my opinion by the way, just the opinion of someone else who claims to know how to read the numbers.

Deflation seems to be where we are heading. And that’s fine if you haven’t got any debt or don’t own any assets, because with deflation, cash is king.

Could I be wrong here? Hell yes. I’m wrong all the time. And it would be nice to imagine that the economy can tick over as it has been, but that isn’t going to happen, not in the short term. In the short term, millions will be made unemployed, the economy will shrink and your public services will suffer. I know this because it said so on Radio 4 yesterday .............. erm, hang on.

I know that opinion sounds bad, but it’s better than the alternative. Inflating and debasing the currency would have been a disaster.... in someone else’s opinion. It would have been like trying to cure an alcoholic by getting him drunk. Our debt must be repaid before it gets too big to service. If it gets too big to service, we go into default, and then the currency goes down the toilet..... along with any and all of your wealth. And think of the opinions the population would have about that.

As an example, just do a bit of research into what happened in Argentina. The middle class were destroyed. At least in deflation there will be a middle class left in this country.

Does this mean I agree with the Tory spending cuts? No! I don’t think they are cutting enough, and where they are cutting is in the wrong places. But then that statement is based on my opinions...... most of which aren’t actually mine. They were “borrowed” from the minds of others and lumped together into something I claim to be mine. My knowledge of economics is limited, so really, how the hell can I have an opinion that is actually valid?

I can’t. And that’s the point that most people don’t realise. Most of our opinions are meaningless. But then, that’s just my opinion.

Ok, ok, enough. I hope you see what I am trying to do here. I am merely trying to point out that most of our opinions aren’t actually ours. They were given to use by someone or something. Now ask me how to do a composite, that’s something I can have a valid opinion on. Why? Because it’s my field of expertise and I do them daily. But ask me about Climate Gate or whether I should be using plastic bags for my shopping and really have no idea. Whatever I say would merely be a guess based on the information I have collected over the years.

And my opinions change constantly. What about yours?

One of my opinions that has not changed is my belief in the importance of systems in business. I know I’m preaching to the converted (I know because my records show that most of the people reading this have bought my Practice Systems Templates, and in 5 years only 1 person has ever asked for their money back), but systemisation is key to the smooth running of your practice. Yes you can still make money without them, and yes you can still enjoy dentistry, but systems make things so much easier.

But why make things more difficult for yourself? Doesn’t make any sense to me.

Keep smiling

Regards

Stephen Hudson BDS, MFGDP, DRDP

Please help support the Sick Dentist Scheme and the BDA Benevolent fund by buying my book atChoose Your Reality. A proportion of the profits from its sale are split equally between these two charities

PS: Please feel free to pass this newsletter onto anyone you feel may be interested in it

GDP Resources

Disclaimer: S.Hudson or SNH Publications will not be held liable for any actions taken based on the information provided in this newsletters. This information is for entertainment only.

Doctors and Dentists Review Body

The contract increase will be 3.4%. That makes a change from what we usually get!!

Am I beating a DEAD horse???

I know, I know I sound all misery and gloom. My friends used to call me Perma bear because I refused to buy a house and wouldn't invest in stocks. But the last year or so, they have begun to understand my reasoning. Ok, this was mainly because I wanted to concentrate on my business and had limited capital, but there was always a deep nagging doubt in the back of my head.

The problem with a bubble, of any kind, is that it is almost impossible to tell the top. So I was quite happy to step aside for the last several years because I didn't want to be caught at the top. Was I right to do this, hell I don't know. But I spent the time concentrating on my business, and not dabbling in other things and that seems to have worked quite well. The one thing I was certain I would never do is to get overextended in debt.

Now the media is awash with doom and gloom stories. you cannot miss them, even if you tried. Even when bullish sentiment gets into the media it is castrated by howling voices of derision. Here's an example:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/03/23/ccliam123.xml

The responses to his post are not very favourable.

Does this mean we will enter into a recession? Again, I don't know. It certainly looks like we will. And I know what you're asking, what the frickin heck has this got to do with a blog on NHS dentistry? Well, like it or not, your practice is a business, and businesses have to survive recessions. For those of us in the NHS, it would seem there is a beacon of hope to ride through the choppy seas. it looks like ring fencing will be extended to 2011. if the recession hits hard (and we should know by the beginning of next year if this will be the case) then 15000 practices all going private in a sea of unemployment, bankruptcies and house repossession may not make the best business sense. How likely is a housing downturn......... well, here is another link.

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/pdf/abn-amro-home-truths-04042007.pdf


I still feel that our future lies outside the NHS, but (to steal a famous Scotsman's saying) one has to be prudent about this. Whatever plans you make for the next five years MUST take into account economic realities of our present time.

Just a thought

Health Select Committee

Yesterday's final evidence session for the Health Select Committee

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/VideoPlayer.aspx?meetingId=1269

BDA press release

*Half a million in England lose access to NHS dentistry*


Statistics published today by The Information Centre offer further evidence that the Government's 2006 reforms are failing to achieve their aim of improving access to NHS dentistry.

The figures show that more than half a million people across England have lost access to NHS dentistry since the implementation of reforms in April 2006.The statistics show that 27,602,000 patients were seen by an NHS dentist in England in the 24 months up to 30 September 2007, compared to 28,145,000 in the 24 months up to 31 March 2006, a reduction of 543,000 patients.

This figure is in addition to the approximately two million people that the Department of Health acknowledges wanted access but were unable to get it before March 2006.Susie Sanderson, Chair of the BDA's Executive Board, said:"Today's statistics offer fresh evidence that the Government's reforms to NHS dentistry have failed to achieve the stated aim of improving access to care for patients. The reforms have also failed to allow dentists to deliver the kind of modern, preventive care they believe their patients deserve."The loss of access to NHS dental care for half a million patients is a milestone in the failure of these reforms. It's time for the Government to start listening to patients and dentists and work with the profession to find constructive solutions to address the problems with these reforms."

Unfortunately the government won't listen because we don'y shout loud enough!!

Its that time of year again

Dentists will fall into one of two camps at this moment in time. there will those who will have pretty much done their UDA's (pronounced UDERS) and will be putting their feet up a bit, maybe going on holiday or just taking it easy. The other camp won't even be close to doing their UDA's and will be cramming whatever treatment they can through the door to make up the numbers.

For many patients, their experience of being treated in March will fall into, again, one of two camps. They either won't be able to get an appointment because their dentist is either full up or at UDA maximum, or they will be able to get an appointment, but it will entail sitting in a packed waiting room whilst the dentist runs late on his New Contract Treadmill.

Remember what I have always said on my website:

• If you are working more than 4 days a week chairside, you are doing something wrong
• If you are having less than 6 weeks `holiday, you are doing something wrong
• If you are routinely working into your lunch hour, you are doing something wrong
• If you are more than 2 weeks booked up, you are going to compromise your cash flow.... and guess what, that probably means you are doing something wrong :)

Nuff said

The LDC delegation meets the CDO

Some interesting little nuggets of information have surfaced from this meeting:

• There is a problem with LDC's funding
• Local Commissioning is here to stay with dentistry leading and the others in the NHS will follow.
• With regards to additional 11% uplift, this money is recurring and no defined timescale would be imposed by the DoH on PCTs in planning its use.
• Concern was raised that previous guidance on year end issues was largely ignored. Guidance is apparently a method where PCTs can act differently but have a coherent reason why, whereas direction is a "must do". In other words they have no set blueprint to follow. Interesting that RIngfencing is a Guidance and not a direction.
• "Access" has been defined as a service within reasonable distance from home of reasonable "quality". What the frak does that mean??????
• "Quality" was defined as appropriate treatment from an appropriate clinician in appropriate setting. Ok, that makes everything so much clearer. Phew, I was worried there. Damn it, they didn't define appropriate......... we could have gone on like that for hours!!!!!!!
• There was further denial of miscalculation of contract targets - so John Renshaw must be wrong then, although somehow I don't think he is.
• Apparently when in discussions with practitioners, PCT' s should take into account the practitioners experience and dedication to the NHS, and treat them as a valued resource. You know, I feel almost floaty having read that. I think I will find myself a field and dance among the flowers. PCT's may well treat GDP's as valued resources, but that isn't going to stop Clawback

Blah blah blah blah :)

As I said, you can stay in the NHS and deal with the regulations, the bloated buerocracy and the threat of Clawback and a PCT suddenlt strapped for cash........... or you can make your way to the Exit door. It's the one over there with the word PRIVATE written on it in large glowing Gold letters. Your choice..... BUT, also take account of the economic factors affecting this country. Going private at the hieghts of a recession, for example, may not be the wisest move.