Gwynne Dental

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Gwynne Dental's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Gwynne Dental is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Blunkett signature Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett
Pickles signature Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.gwynnedental.co.uk

1GWYNNE DENTAL |
BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020
Managing Director
GeorginaGwynne
Focusing on prevention
According to Managing Director Georgina Gwynne, Gwynne
Dental provides “exceptional primary care when patients
need it, to improve their long-term health”. Working
with over 5,000 patients across Hampshire, they put the needs
of patients and staff ahead of financial targets. Georgina and her
team attribute their success to this philosophy, having doubled in
size in the past three years. She discusses issues of staff retention
and changes in the industry with
TheParliamentary Review
.
Gwynne Dental is proof that a family-run independent surgery can thrive by
prioritising patients and staff over financial targets. As consolidation in the dental
sector continues, large practices are forced to focus on profit through optimising
appointment times, minimising cost of treatment and valuing patients as revenue-
generating customers. The rise in regulation, cost of compliance and need for
innovation have proved too much for many small independent surgeries.
By focusing on the quality of our care, both in terms of technical excellence and
by providing patients with a highly personalised service, we have doubled our
size in three years, minimised staff turnover and are sought after by new patients
everyday.
We are proud to rise above these industry challenges, delivering the highest-quality
private dentistry and facial aesthetics treatments to over 5,000 patients in the heart
of Hampshire.
FACTS ABOUT
GWYNNE DENTAL
»Managing Director:
GeorginaGwynne
»Founded in 1974
»Located in Hampshire
»Services: Independent surgery
providing quality private
dentistry in the heart of
Hampshire
»No. of employees: 6
»www.gwynnedental.co.uk
Gwynne Dental
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
2| GWYNNE DENTAL
Our team and commitment to
our patients
Our team of four experienced
dentists and our hygienist provide the
highest standards of care across the
full breadth of dentistry when our
patients need it. We see emergency
appointments on the same day,
including over the weekend. Routine
appointments are seen within seven
days and all patients have a mobile
number for out-of-hours care.
We have a very low turnover of
dentists and nursing staff, which
means patients get to know their
dental team. Coupled with the
breadth of expertise we offer, our
patients trust us to provide them
with all classes of general dentistry
including cosmetic dentistry, children’s
dentistry, root canal treatment and
implantplacements.
Developing this trusting relationship
with patients is a key driver of our
continued success, which in turn
allows us to invest in the latest industry
innovations in order to constantly
improve standards of treatment.
Our purpose
Our purpose is to provide exceptional
primary care when patients need it,
to improve their long-term health.
We understand the importance
of empathy, kindness and respect
when doing this and encourage
these core values in our patients,
staff and suppliers. Through showing
appreciation to one another within
the team, supporting the professional
development of our staff and
communicating effectively, we are able
to serve our patients with distinction.
Our sense of purpose extends beyond
the practice. In recent years we
have taken part in the Basingstoke
half marathon in aid of St Michael’s
Hospice, a self-funding end-of-life
carehospice.
A large proportion of our patients
work full-time or have children who
want to be seen out of school hours.
Responding to their needs, we added
early morning, evening and weekend
appointments. This has been enabled
by digitising many elements of the
business and by the flexibility provided
by our team. We offer disability
access and on-site car parking, and
we are located a short distance from
Basingstoke town centre.
Quality of care is our driver of
performance
Across three generations of dentists,
we have observed changes to the
industry. Nationally, the industry is
consolidating, with digital innovation
and improvement in materials set
to dominate the next phase. The
transition from myriad individual
practices towards fewer, larger
companies will continue, particularly
with financial backers attracted by
the industry fundamentals. This is
creating demand for dentists to
work faster, use cheaper materials
where possible or limit the options
available to patients to increase
availableappointments.
Every patient is different. To provide an
exceptional service means being highly
Situated in
Basingstoke, North
Hampshire
The Gwynne Dental
team
Our purpose is
to provide
exceptional
primary care
when patients
need it, to
improve their
long-term
health
“
“
3GWYNNE DENTAL |
BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020
responsive and paying attention to
the patient’s personal circumstances.
We quickly assess patients to identify
anxieties or concerns and will always
make more time to do everything
we can to put the patient at ease.
We provide a comprehensive range
of treatment options for their care,
with the technical ability to meet all
of their dental needs using the latest
techniques and equipment. Through
clear communication of the options
available to them, the patient is in
control of their treatment.
Consequently, we do not rely on
financial targets to drive our business
or incentivise our dentists. We believe
in minimum intervention dentistry,
maximising long-term outcomes,
patient choice and published research
to inform our recommendations. It is
the quality of our care, and the pursuit
of excellence in our work that drives
our performance.
Creating a successful team
Sadly, the pressure of operating on
a high volume of nervous patients
has resulted in a profession with
a high incidence of depression,
burnout and suicide. We have
focused on creating a supportive and
collaborative team with shared values,
where each person brings their own
uniquecontribution.
We have provided the opportunity to
develop individuals by encouraging
them to take on different roles.
Our practice manager previously
held a nursing role with us, as did
our hygienist until she re-trained.
Furthermore, we have provided life
coaching to our dentists to improve
their personal well-being and
effectiveness.
Our flat team structure, shared values
and mutual respect have created
a place in which people are proud
towork.
Training dentists for success
Training for dentists at university is
provided on a technical level. However,
ultimately the development of the
profession will require dentists to
develop their business management
acumen. Gwynne Dental is a profitable
business and we believe for practices
like ours, support is required to help
younger and ambitious dentists to
also become successful business
professionals. Early development
of many of those skills should be
encouraged as without this, smaller
practices will not succeed, leaving the
larger players to dominate the market.
Young dentists also need to learn the
importance of soft skills and well-
being, to improve communication
effectiveness, empathy and time
management. Technical skills are
hugely important, but they are only
one piece in the jigsaw of what makes
a successful practice.
We have a vision for expanding on our
purpose, with the creation of private
auxiliary healthcare services, thereby
supporting the health and well-being
of our patients more comprehensively
than we can do today. Providing a
personal, reliable and high-quality
service, when patients need it, should
not be the exception in the UK, but the
rule.
It is the quality
of our care,
and the
pursuit of
excellence in
our work that
drives our
performance
“
“
Our reception

www.gwynnedental.co.uk

This article was sponsored by Gwynne Dental. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss

Even by the standards of the day –this has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable years in British politics.

The leadership election we’ve just seen marks a huge moment in our country’s history. This government is taking a decisive new direction, embracing the opportunities of Brexit and preparing our country to flourish outside the EU.

As international trade secretary, I’ll be driving forward work on the free trade agreements that are going to be a priority for the government. Free trade isn’t just an abstract concept bandied around by technocrats. It is crucial for a strong economy and for the ability of families to make ends meet. Free trade benefits people in every part of our country, as British firms export to new markets and people doing the weekly shop have access to a wider choice of goods at lower prices.

The essence of free trade is in the title: freedom. It’s about giving people the power to exchange their goods without heavy government taxation or interference. Commerce and free exchange are the engine room of prosperity and social mobility. I’m determined to tackle the forces who want to hold that back.

One of my priorities is agreeing an exciting new free trade deal with the US, building on the great relationship between our two countries and the Prime Minister and US President. But I’ll also be talking to other partners including New Zealand, Australia and fast-growing Asian markets.

And with the EU too, we want a friendly and constructive relationship, as constitutional equals, and as friends and partners in facing the challenges that lie ahead – a relationship based on a deep free trade agreement. Our country produces some of the world’s most successful exports, and the opportunity to bring these to the rest of the world should make us all excited about the future. It is this excitement, optimism and ambition which I believe will come to define this government.

For too long now, we have been told Britain isn’t big or important enough to survive outside the EU – that we have to accept a deal that reflects our reduced circumstances. I say that’s rubbish. With the right policies in place, we can be the most competitive, free-thinking, prosperous nation on Earth exporting to the world and leading in new developments like AI. To do that, we’ll give the brilliant next generation of entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed. Since 2015, there has been a staggering 85 per cent rise in the number of businesses set up by 18 to 24 year olds – twice the level set up by the same age group in France and Germany. We’ll help them flourish by championing enterprise, cutting taxes and making regulation flexible and responsive to their needs.

As we do that, we’ll level up and unite all parts of the UK with great transport links, fibre broadband in every home and proper school funding, so everyone shares in our country’s success.

2019 has been the year of brewing economic and political revolution. 2020 will be the year when a revitalised Conservative government turbo charges the economy, boosts prospects for people across the country, and catapults Britain back to the forefront of the world stage.



Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss
Secretary of State for International Development