Chris Barrow’s Blog

After a hectic week of presentation and travel that has eliminated any time for keeping up with blog posts, I’m about to switch off the technology for the final time and begin our journey to Tanzania.

We will be working with www.bridge2aid.org in Mwanza, helping them to create a more profitable private clinic with which to finance their joint-initiative with the Government.

On a professional level, I welcome the challenge.

On a personal level, the break from routine will be priceless – a chance to “Breathe”.

Back on 6th February – no doubt with some tales to tell and pictures to post.

Just back from an exhausting weekend in London with my daughters Rachel (15) and Ellie (13).

Shopping, tour of London, eating.

Saturday night we enjoyed ”Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria and Sunday off to see “P.S. I Love You” at the movies.

That’s a girlie musical and a chick flick all in one 48 hour period.

The sacrifices we make.

Although both the show and the movie were excellent I have to say.

I’m looking forward to getting back to work this morning – for a rest.

If would like to see Harry Singh’s fantastic brand new practice in Hatfield, Herts click here.

A practice visit last Friday.

You can view the photographs here.

 

Just fascinated to count my activity yesterday.

I lost count of how many emails received – it started at 5.15am with 78 in-bound but they kept coming all day. 

I wrote the 88^th outgoing email just before 7.00pm.

I made 30 outgoing phone calls. 

I dealt with numerous “to do’s”. 

And along the way drove from the Hilton Cobham to the Hilton Watford (where my office/room for the day is pictured).

Its been mental. 

But 100% great fun – an absolute pleasure.

The Average Daily Yield (ADY) is the amount of actual and nominal income that each dentist and hygienist brings in on a daily basis. 

Depending on the type of practice you operate, this can be made up of:

 1.    Number of UDA’s times UDA value;

2.    Nominal hourly value of capitation or membership scheme service;

3.    Fee per item service and work. 

Its important in the case of item 2 that you are measuring what’s actually happening rather than a nominal value – especially if there are any loss leaders knocking about like first consults. 

Clearly, what we are trying to ascertain is the contribution to business revenue that each income generator is making. 

What we find is that in a general dental practice associates on a 50% contract should be targeting at least £1000 a day, principals at least £1500 a day , hygienists £675 a day (and here I am assuming a national average price based on my observations). 

The winning habit for all income generators is to keep a handy chair-side sheet that is updated after every appointment – and the total calculated at the end of each day. 

Its amazing how it suddenly galvanises everybody to keep an eye on the top line – it’s the responsibility of the owner and the senior team to keep an eye on the bottom line, using the KPI’s we espouse in Breathe Business. 

A conversation for another day is how shifting to either a hygienist or therapist based assessment system can significantly increase the dentists ADY.

Its worth a quick look around their web site click here.

Where you will see “me old mate” Chris Potts as dental advisor.

Do you see the arrival of Sir Richard in dentistry as an opportunity?

I certainly do – if Virgin is “in” there must be a good reason.

Average number of emails received per working day:

• before Christmas – 35
• over Christmas and New Year – 15
• since the 5th January – 65

What’s happening?

Looking at the totality – I see that there has been a considerable increase in the number of inter-team emails at Breathe Business – after all there are 8/9 of us now if we include close independent contractors that we are in daily contact with.

But also I notice that our clients have all suddenly started asking questions again.

It’s that annual phenomenon – “back to work after the break”.

I’m in London the whole of this week – a variety of practice visits and speaking engagements.

Back to living in hotels

This morning’s British Dental Journal will carry an advert from Virgin Healthcare, looking for dentists and hygienist/therapists to apply for jobs. 

It is rumoured that they plan to open private dental clinics inside large medical health centres only – up to 7 dentists per site. 

The patients will be those attached to the health centre and they are aiming at affordable family dentistry with cherry-picking for cosmetic cases. 

Virgin Dentistry is currently being formed as a corporate and they could open their first practice by the late summer – the progress will be tied to the Governments schedule to build a open a new breed of large family health centres.  

Chances are that: 

1.    They will advertise nationally to hoover up staff (that’s what Boots did);

2.    Throw money at the marketing;

3.    Create the fear of God in the minds of many dentists; 

I’m surprised at the absence of any apparent NHS commitment – although that speaks volumes for Virgin’s assessment that the NHS sector is not the place to be. 

Family dental practices need to be worried – the cosmetic boys will be OK and those offering a boutique experience. 

My quick assessment is that the over 50’s patient will be OK – they don’t identify with Virgin. 

25-35’s will love it. Affordable families will love it.  

Just off to an 8.00am meeting with a PNC after rolling in to Salisbury at 8.30pm last night in snow. 

Knackered and happy after an excellent week as a coach – best bit being working with Simon in Scotland – we rock.

So many of you asked so: