A little about Catherine
A practising dentist herself for 17 years, Catherine now enjoys the freedom to enjoy family life as well as assisting in the running of the Denplan Excel Accredited Broadway Dental Practice in Berkshire.
Her first experience with Denplan was over ten years ago and relationships with her Denplan Consultant, Steph, and the Denplan team have grown and developed ever since, in line with the aspirations of the practice.
Approximately 40% of the practice income comes from Denplan patients, which provides the three-handed practice with security and revenue to build and broaden patient services as well as the freedom to enjoy their personal lives.
There are so many resources at Denplan that I can rely on to help with the day to day running of the practice."
A Practice Manager’s lot
Now practising dentistry two days a week, thanks to the predictable income from Denplan, Catherine is free to assist in the running of the practice on a part-time basis.
She soon discovered that a Practice Manager’s job is wide and varied and one which requires many hats; from HR Manager to Lawyer and Administrator to Careers Advisor.
Denplan’s range of business resources and administrative support enables her to address each area of business with confidence. And with her unique perspective as both Dentist and Practice Manager, Catherine fully appreciates just what it takes to run a successful practice in the current economic climate.
Denplan’s range of business support services are resources that Catherine has come to rely on in the day-to-day management of the practice.
Business support
Lawyer
“As an Denplan Excel Accredited practice, all clinical governance and compliance aspects of the business are taken care of, taking the worry and the strain out of managing the legal aspects of dentistry.”
Accountant and Bookkeeper
“It's important for us to get the right balance between fee setting and the time spent with each patient. It was also important to understand and monitor the impact that not increasing fees had on the practice overheads. Stephanie conducted a time analysis assessment which highlighted areas to address.”
HR Manager
“Recruitment can be a minefield; understanding the legal aspects of employment is crucial to building and growing a practice. Again, Steph provided invaluable advice and support setting up our appraisal system.”
Careers Officer
“Developing the careers of practice members as well as recognising their loyalty is vital to getting teamwork right. Denplan’s team hospitality days are important dates in the practice calendar, providing a great day out as well as rewarding the entire team. Combined with Denplan’s Training courses and Events, which enable networking with peers, Denplan’s career development support is invaluable.”
Customer Service Manager
“It’s important to remember patients have a choice when it comes to dental services. Take them for granted at your peril! Denplan’s mystery shopping exercise uncovered a few aspects of our service that were failing to deliver as expected; our telephone answering service was not passing on all messages, leaving some of our patients feeling undervalued. We discussed this with the provider and put steps in place to ensure it does not happen again.”
Facilities Manager
“We didn’t always own the building in which our practice is located and had to share common areas with others, such as the loos. These were very basic and did not reflect the practice image at all. Now we own the building, we are using Denplan’s Evolve loan to give them a complete makeover, bringing them in line with the rest of the practice.”
Business Development Advisor
“Our first experience of moving our patients to Denplan was when we decided to introduce Plans for Children for our child patients from Denplan. The support from Steph and the entire Denplan team was invaluable and the exercise was a very positive experience. The practice is now completely independent of the NHS and we’ve always been happy with our decision.”
Administrator
“Since signing up to Denplan’s range of Online Services, we now have instant access to key information online, and it’s free – all part of the Denplan service. This further reduction in administration allows me to focus on other activities as well as balancing work with my personal commitments.”
So what does all this support mean for Catherine’s work/life balance?
Catherine attributes the flexibility she has to choose her working hours to Denplan, which enables her to collect her daughter from school, attend school events and nativity plays, go on family holidays, and attend training days – all without the worry of loss of income. It also reflects a bond that extends beyond purely business relations; it’s a mutual passion for delivering better dentistry.
