Simplyhealth demonstrates its long-term investment in healthcare through support for its Denplan dentists
Simplyhealth, the leading health cash plan and dental plan provider has taken a significant step to show its long-term commitment to healthcare by announcing today that it is investing £2 million in essential, fully-certified1, personal protective equipment (PPE) to help its Denplan member dentists get safely back to work and protect and care for their patients.
Denplan, part of Simplyhealth has over 2 million customers with around 6,700 member dentists, as well as serving over 2,700 companies with Denplan employee benefit schemes. However, all dental practices have been closed for normal routine dental care since the Coronavirus lockdown started on 23rd March, which has created a significant impact on practices, their patients, and access to oral healthcare across the UK.
Coronavirus has affected all of us deeply, both at work and in our personal lives. As a company, we are incredibly passionate about our Purpose which is to provide access to affordable healthcare for the many which we have been delivering for 148 years. This investment, alongside the range of support measures we have provided since lockdown, demonstrates our Purpose in action, our continued support for our Denplan members, our commitment to the long-term success of the dental industry, and the provision of essential dental healthcare to our members’ patients.
Although a definitive date is currently unknown, there is increasing speculation that practices will reopen in the near future now that the Covid-19 national lockdown restrictions are being eased in some sectors. The decision to invest in PPE now, is part of a number of support measures put in place since lockdown to help Denplan dental practices survive in these difficult times, making sure they can reopen safely, and also to ensure that their patients are confident to start attending appointments again.
This has been such a difficult time for the whole dental profession. Our aim is to support our members in returning to practice by providing the standard of guidance that they expect from us, to provide safe practice and the PPE to enact that. We have also been working closely with our members to provide clinical and business guidance to help them return to work once all official government guidelines can be adhered to safely. We have always strived to create a partnership with our members’ and have worked hard to ensure that we provide added value services from our clinical team and our dedicated business consultants to contribute to a successful dental practice for the long term.
News this week from the BDA2 has emphasised the importance of getting dentists back to work and how private dentists are particularly exposed financially, and also the concern that access to healthcare is going to get even worse for patients with a widening oral health gap.
Final stage discussions are taking place with dental suppliers in the UK to create a robust operational process to provide essential PPE equipment to Denplan member practices. Qualifying Denplan member practices3 will be allocated a fund, based on their Denplan patient numbers, which they can use to order vital PPE equipment directly from the chosen supplier. This fund will allow Denplan practices to select from a range of PPE items to help ensure the safety of their patients and of Denplan dental teams.
Today’s announcement is one of a number of new measures to help support Denplan dentists, that have been introduced during the Coronavirus lockdown. These have focused on three key areas: to support practice sustainability and provide financial support through extended loans; secondly, supporting the health and wellbeing of dentists via free access to Simplyhealth’s 24-7 virtual GP and Employee Assistance Programme for practices; and finally, through ongoing CPD initiatives. This has included hosting a wide range of online lectures with expert guest speakers, and creating online versions of Denplan’s Tailor Made Training bespoke in-practice training programmes.
Simplyhealth remain committed to doing all they can at this unprecedented time to help health and wellbeing in the UK and to continue to focus its areas of support on its customers and its communities. Simplyhealth have also created the Coronavirus Support Hub, with further tools and resources available to support customers, clients and partners.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1There is currently no VAT to pay on PPE due to emergency measures brought in during the global pandemic and all PPE will have full certification and carry the CE mark/BSO mark.
3PPE fund will be available to all Denplan member dentists apart from large corporates and any practices who are in the process of leaving Denplan.
Since 1872 we’ve been helping people get healthcare through our health plans, charity partnerships and by being a voice in healthcare. Today we’re delighted to be the UK’s leading provider of health plans, dental plans and pet health plans, which help individuals, families, employees and pets to get support with their health when they need it.
We don’t have shareholders which means we are totally focused on making sure no one goes without the healthcare support they need, and why we are passionate about being a voice in healthcare and partnering with charities to reduce health inequality. We have a commitment to donate part of our pre-tax profits to charities or community projects each year and spread our donations across a wide range of healthcare-related charities.
In 2019 we became Official Healthcare Partner of England Rugby, a partnership that will help us deliver on our purpose and improve access to healthcare for the rugby community.
About Denplan, Part of Simplyhealth:
Denplan, Part of Simplyhealth, is the UK’s leading dental payment plan specialist with more than 6,500 member dentists nationwide caring for approximately 1.7 million patients registered to Denplan products.
Denplan, Part of Simplyhealth, also provides a wide range of professional services for its member dentists and their practice teams, including the Denplan Quality Programme and Denplan Excel Certification Programme. Plus regulatory advice, business and marketing consultancy services and networking opportunities.
Dentist enquiries telephone: 0800 169 9962.
For patient enquiries telephone: 0800 401 402
For details of all of our products, visit www.denplan.co.uk