NHS dental patients ejected from dental practices

Summary

A request was made for statistics on NHS dental patients ejected from practices over the past five years, including reasons and specific locations. Manx Care responded that the information is not held because there is no formal registration process for patient removals and practices are not required to report them.

Key Facts

• Manx Care does not hold data on the number of patients ejected from dental practices.
• There is no formal registration process for dental patients in the Isle of Man.
• Dental practices are not mandatory to inform Manx Care when they remove a patient from their list.
• Manx Care only becomes aware of removals if a patient reports it during allocation or via a complaint.
• Patients may be removed for failing three appointments or not attending within a two-year period.

Data Disclosed

• 2635193
• 2022-09-15
• 2022-10-03
• 5 years
• 3 times
• 2-year period
• Section 11(3)a

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)a of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Information not held)

Original Request

Can you please provide me with the numbers of how many people that have been ejected from dental practices on the request of the dentist over the past 5 years, the reasons for the removal of service and which dental practices ejected them. Thank You

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Manx Care Noble’s Hospital, Strang Braddan, Isle of Man IM4 4R (01624) 650 000

Our ref: 2635193 03 October 2022

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 15th September 2022 which states:

"Can you please provide me with the numbers of how many people that have been ejected from dental practices on the request of the dentist over the past 5 years, the reasons for the removal of service and which dental practices ejected them. Thank You"

Our Response While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Manx Care is unable to provide the information that you have requested. This is in line with Section 11(3)a of the Act, as a practical refusal reason applies; namely we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested. There is no formal registration process for dental patients and Manx Care will only be aware that people have been removed from a practice list if they [the patient] tell us when they join the allocation list or if they inform us via a complaint. Dental practices have their own policies with regards to patients and removal from their list. When Manx Care allocate patients to a Dental Practice, this advice is given in the allocation letter: “Please ensure that you attend the practice as often as your dentist deems necessary to maintain good oral health and ensure you ask about their practice policies. We are informing you of this because if you fail your appointments 3 times or do not attend within a 2-year period, then you may be removed from their patient list.” Dental practices can remove patients from their patient list due to an irrevocable breakdown of relationship as per the dental contract (extract below) but it is not mandatory for the contractor to inform us that they have removed a patient: Irrevocable breakdown in relationship between Contractor and patient 39. Where- 39.1 in the reasonable opinion of the Contractor, there has been an irrevocable breakdown in the relationship between patient and the Contractor, and 39.2 notice of such a breakdown has been given to the patient by the Contractor, the Contractor may notify the Department that it will no longer provide services to that patient under the Contract.
Please quote the reference number 2635193 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.