Published: 16/02/2021
By Denplan

Dentistry was always at the heart of Andrew Farr’s family and not only gave him a passion but a natural route to follow. He graduated from Cardiff University in 2007, trained in Plymouth and with excellent experience under his belt, Andrew moved to Hereford in 2015, joining Broad Street Dental Surgery as an associate. The principal dentist was already Denplan Excel Accredited, however this was Andrew's first encounter with Denplan.

Alongside his principal dentist, Andrew helped grow the practice and computerise the patient management system. All his hard work and dedication came to fruition when he and his wife, who is a hygienist at the practice, took over Broad Street Dental in January 2020.

As well as becoming principal, Andrew was still keen to enhance the quality of service for his patients. By continuing his development, Andrew has completed additional implant certification and now offers this service to his patients. Andrew was also keen to preserve the foundation of Denplan Excel which was embedded into the practice to continue his ethos of excellent patient care and to further his knowledge.

What is Denplan Excel?

Denplan Excel is a certification programme for dentists to deliver excellence in quality assurance, patient care and communication. It demonstrates a drive to achieve high standards and proves that a practice fully complies with regulations. As a member dentist, you can apply for Denplan Excel certification and you receive support to gain the certification.

What are the benefits of Denplan?

Broad Street Dental Surgery has always been an independent and family run practice. Andrew was naturally keen to retain his 1,500 patients (the majority of which have a Denplan payment plan) and amplify his unique proposition.

A key benefit of Andrew’s Excel membership comes from quality assurance. Having an additional stamp of approval and maintaining the high standards the membership demands helps him drive new acquisition through patient referral.

As a Denplan Excel member, Andrew has access to many important tools. One of those is Denplan PreViser Patient Assessment (DEPPA) which allows him to score and categorise a patient’s oral health. This provides a highly visual way to demonstrate how to prevent issues - in Andrew’s words “prevention is better than a cure”.

Another level of Denplan excellence

To ensure the practice continues to hold Excel status, Andrew and his team is supported every step of the way. As part of the programme, Denplan’s experienced advisors spend valuable time at Broad Street. Running through policies and procedures, they help him stay current and provide expertise around complex issues such as litigation, providing valuable peace of mind.

Part of the challenge caused by the coronavirus was the inability to deliver face-to-face care in lockdown. So Andrew implemented a telephone triage system to help his patients. Denplan was right by his side helping with latest guidance, regulatory changes and marketing materials. This meant he could help set up a prescription network and was able to send over thirty temporary filling kits to his patients.

Denplan has also offered comprehensive CPD support and online training to Andrew and his practice staff. He has received regular updates on the government guidance for preparing to re-open his surgery safely and legally.

Denplan’s continued and on-going support

Denplan’s £2m PPE campaign was a huge success and all member dentists who received help were able to provide the best service for their patients in these difficult times. Other COVID assistance was provided through a comprehensive ‘Back-to-Work’ checklist.

The Employee Assistance Programme and virtual GP 24/7 service is something Denplan is incredibly proud to offer to all member dentists, helping them look after their staff’s wellbeing and mental health.

In these unprecedented times, Denplan has the resources and compassion to welcome and support dentists like Andrew so they can make their patients feel cared for, in addition to accreditations like Denplan Excel which add further practice credibility.

Benefits of being a Denplan Excel practice

• Demonstrates your commitment to exceeding standards in dentistry and regulation compliance
  
  
• Professional peer support to keep you up to date and motivated
  
  
• Collect patient feedback with business development and patient survey, allowing you to plan improvements and make suggested changes to your patient care
  
  
• Receive patient information leaflets supported by OHF and Plain English Campaign which enhances your patients’ understanding of the care and treatment available
  
  
• Delivers you a helping hand in difficult times

Our friendly Denplan sales team is ready to chat about how – together - we can maximise the potential of your practice and look after your staff.

So call us on 0800 328 3223.