Should diabetes sufferers fight for free dental care?

[wildfirejc]

Hi everyone,

I just had a shock in the mail - NHS Business Services Authority sent me a letter demanding £156.30 - £56.30 for treatment and £100 penalty.
I thought it was some mistake - so I phoned them up. Got one very unpleasant fellow who won't listen to my explanations - and kept wanting me to listen - which I did.
So, the long and short of it was - when I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2017, and first received my NHS Medical Exemption card thereafter, I went along to the local dentist and showed them the card, asking them if I am entitled to free dental treatment under NHS. The receptionist took down my details and said yes. I was asked to sign a form - which I did but I did not tick or cross or even date the form because I didn't know what to cross - there wasn't anything related to diabetes. Anyway, I had a consult and then was asked to return in 2018 for another check-up. I attended once again - signed for form and to be honest, can't remember whether I ticked or crossed anything once again. However, after receiving the letter, I went to the dentist and checked - the owner said it was up to me to decide if I am entitled to free dental treatment - I said I asked the receptionist when I first registered - and she said it was OK - in fact when we checked my records on her computer, I saw that they had indicated my NHS Medical Exemption card number and details. So I said, that's the proof - they told me it was free. I assumed they knew the rules, and when I asked to see the forms, they showed me the first one - signed but no date nor cross at the NHS Tax Credit Exemption Cert and the second one, someone had put in a date and a cross on the NHS Tax Credit Exemption. I can't swear 100% it was me - because I have very bad memory loss. However, I know that I didn't date it because that wasn't my handwriting. Anyway, I wrote a letter of appeal and said I was willing to pay the £56.30 (benefit of the doubt) but not the penalty as I was misled by the dentist. Anyone else has this problem? Should we start a petition to get free dental treatment? The dentist locum who treated me said that people suffering from diabetes are very prone to having gum disease.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Dental treatment has never been free for people with diabetes and quite honestly I don't see why it should be.
By all means point out that someone has fraudulently filled in your form after you had signed it and as a normal rule of thumb the penalty notice will be withdrawn.

As to the dentist making silly comments about diabetes and gum disease he should have clarified it by saying badly controlled diabetes leads to gum disease.
Wishing you all the luck in the world for not having to pay the penalty.

 

[Brando77]

Sorry, but the receptionist was an idiot. When the Doctor diagnosed me he said I'd be exempt from paying for medicine so when I went to pick them up the first time the chemist asked for my card...didn't have one so she said as its diabetic medicine I must be exempt even though I'm working etc but just to make sure before I got the card I paid and later when my card was issued got that money back.
Later, I had a coupla fillings, thought hmmmm wonder if they're free, well Google told me nope, NHS said nope so I forked out.
You may have a good case not to be fined....keep on, just a genuine mistake anyone can see that. Yes, dental work should be free for any Diabetes sufferer. 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

Rule 2 of customer service is don't guess/make things up. It was reasonable to ask at the dentists practice, (though it turns out not to ask that receptionist). And that personal should of passed the question on if they didn't know.

 

[bamba]

Rule 2 of customer service is don't guess/make things up. It was reasonable to ask at the dentists practice, (though it turns out not to ask that receptionist). And that personal should of passed the question on if they didn't know.

Yes but 'Rule 1' is "The Customer is always Right !" - which isn't necessarily the case. 🙂

 

[Ralph-YK]

Yes but 'Rule 1' is "The Customer is always Right !" - which isn't necessarily the case. 🙂

Oh I did the Basil Fawlty school of customer service. Rule 1 is "What are all these people doing here? We'd do a lot better not having them here."
Or it could be Rule 1 make the sale.

 

[wildfirejc]

Thank you all. So next question would be "How do I start a petition to NHS that all sufferers of diabetes should be exempt from dental fees"?
KIV this thread...

 

[Lisa66]

Hi. Just wondering why you think we should be? Personally I can't see why we should.

 

[wildfirejc]

Well Lisa, it's the same as feet checks and eye tests - why not teeth as well? Why stop at feet and eyes? Anyway, I found the petition page of the government. For those who believe that diabetic sufferers should be given free dental healthcare, please send me your email in my inbox and I shall send a link for you to sign it.

 

[Amigo]

Well Lisa, it's the same as feet checks and eye tests - why not teeth as well? Why stop at feet and eyes? Anyway, I found the petition page of the government. For those who believe that diabetic sufferers should be given free dental healthcare, please send me your email in my inbox and I shall send a link for you to sign it.

It’s a laudable cause wildfirejc but in truth I can think of other groups as or more medically deserving of exemption such as the people listed as experiencing possible dental problems associated with their condition;

• oral cancer.
• temporomandibular disorder (TMD)
• HIV/AIDS.
• thyroid problems.
• iron deficiency/anemia.
• leukemia.
• eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia)
• Sjogrens Syndrome
• Etc etc...

The NHS is on its knees as it is and this eligibility wouldn’t be financially viable so I’d struggle to support it.

 

[wildfirejc]

Perhaps this article would help to paint the bigger picture - I know it's about the US but I think it may also apply to us in the UK.
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/oral-infections-causing-more-hospitalizations/

I just heard from someone who had a tooth extraction gone wrong and ended up in an NHS hospital - he only had to pay £80 for everything. See what I mean? It is disproportionate. I don't expect everyone to agree, I honestly don't.

 

[Amigo]

Perhaps this article would help to paint the bigger picture - I know it's about the US but I think it may also apply to us in the UK.
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/30/oral-infections-causing-more-hospitalizations/

I just heard from someone who had a tooth extraction gone wrong and ended up in an NHS hospital - he only had to pay £80 for everything. See what I mean? It is disproportionate. I don't expect everyone to agree, I honestly don't.

I’d agree in a bountiful world but I’m mindful of the bigger impact.

We may get free eye checks but still have to pay for glasses. Are you just meaning dental checks ups or the very expensive treatments like bridges, crowns, root canal work, implants etc?

I agree that many preventative treatments can save lives but I’d be happier to start with funded testing for all diabetics if they wish to do so. That would help keep the complications down that lead to these serious dental problems.

 

[Bubbsie]

I’d agree in a bountiful world but I’m mindful of the bigger impact.

We may get free eye checks but still have to pay for glasses. Are you just meaning dental checks ups or the very expensive treatments like bridges, crowns, root canal work, implants etc?

I agree that many preventative treatments can save lives but I’d be happier to start with funded testing for all diabetics if they wish to do so. That would help keep the complications down that lead to these serious dental problems.

I agree screening for diabetes & testing strips for all diabetics would for me be a preferred option.

 

[Sally71]

My mum (also type 1) has always said, and I'm inclined to agree with her, that the blanket prescription exemption is a bit over the top. Fair enough that you get all your insulin, needles (or other long-term medication) etc free because you might be a bit broke if you had to buy all that yourself all the time just to stay alive. But for other unrelated conditions, e.g. the occasional course of antibiotics, eczema cream, asthma inhalers which also last quite a while, why should you not pay the same prescription fee as anyone else? I agree with others who have said that test strips for all diabetics would be a much better use of NHS money, to help prevent some of the expensive complications!

 

[AJLang]

But how do you know what orescription items are or aren't diabetes related? For example, have prescription drugs for gastroparesis which is a diabetes complication. I have aspirin and pravastatin as a precaution because of the diabetes. My glaucoma - which I need three drugs for - is probably diabetes related (according to Moorfields).

 

[Radders]

But how do you know what orescription items are or aren't diabetes related? For example, have prescription drugs for gastroparesis which is a diabetes complication. I have aspirin and pravastatin as a precaution because of the diabetes. My glaucoma - which I need three drugs for - is probably diabetes related (according to Moorfields).

I think there should be a tick box for the prescriber on our prescriptions to indicate that some items we have to pay for, but by default they should be exempt because of the point you make.

 

[wildfirejc]

Free

I’d agree in a bountiful world but I’m mindful of the bigger impact.

We may get free eye checks but still have to pay for glasses. Are you just meaning dental checks ups or the very expensive treatments like bridges, crowns, root canal work, implants etc?

I agree that many preventative treatments can save lives but I’d be happier to start with funded testing for all diabetics if they wish to do so. That would help keep the complications down that lead to these serious dental problems.

Yes, that would make sense Amigo.

 

[Amigo]

Free


Yes, that would make sense Amigo.

Now that is a petition people would get behind Mei Joan Guyll 😛

 

[grainger]

Sorry but this just feels like you want to milk the system. We are so fortunate to get our medications etc for free. Don’t take the mick with everything else - everyone has to go to the dentist, look after yourself and you hopefully won’t have an issue. I personally feel the same about paying for eye tests, get the retinopathy checks for free but why not pay for normal eye checks like everyone else? These aren’t specific to diabetes.
So many people say they don’t want this condition to define who they are and it should allow us to do everything we want still - be able to do all jobs etc etc but we somehow feel that we should get special treatment for other stuff?

 

[Lisa66]

Well Lisa, it's the same as feet checks and eye tests - why not teeth as well? Why stop at feet and eyes? Anyway, I found the petition page of the government. For those who believe that diabetic sufferers should be given free dental healthcare, please send me your email in my inbox and I shall send a link for you to sign it.

Well where would it end? I'm with @Amigo here I'm afraid, and the funding for testing for all diabetics would be great. I'm very grateful for the items and service I already get. I have tried to pay for non diabetes prescription in the past and I can't do this apparently. More free items for us would inevitably cost someone else somewhere.