[Misc] Coz Covid

[Dick Swiveller]

I'm sure we all know COVID is a natural excuse for things these days but what is the worst example you have seen? Just been for a NHS Dentist check-up which took literally 2 minutes. A quick prod with the pokie thing and she pronounces all good but I have some plaque needs removing. Apparently she could only use a hand tool "coz Covid" which wouldn't do the job so I need to see a hygienist - for another £50 and a two month wait.

So that will be £23.80 + a £30 deposit for the future appointment for the 2 minutes you spent in our chair. Most telling was when I came out, the secretary said "I guess you want an appointment for the hygienist?" Before asking for my name. No-one had come out and she didn't who I was so hadn't seen an updated record. Nice little conveyer they have going - have someone in for 2 minutes, take their £23.80 and book a £50 appointment. Not sure how the hygienist doesn't have Covid issues but the dentist does but there you go.

So who do you feel has blagged you the most using the latest buzz word?

 

[Denis]

I agree about the dentist. I had a check up in March and told that I needed nothing doing. Although relieved, I knew that wasn’t strictly true.
In June I contacted the dentist saying a bit of a filling in a front tooth had come out and didn’t mind paying private. I saw a dentist, mine had since left, and a future appointment made. Since then the appointment has been cancelled three times, by the dentist, my new appointment is November!
Luckily the tooth isn’t hurting, but the dental practice is an absolute joke. Both my previous dentist and previous hygienist have left, this seems to be a regular occurrence.

 

[Fungus]

I think the hygienist scam started a few years ago - basically, you're paying for two dental appointments. But the dentist seems to be getting quicker and quicker, coz of Covid.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I'm dealing with both my parents estates at the moment and so have loads of phone calls to make etc. If I hear one more fvcking time "Due to Covid" I'll explode. Now it's an utterly pathetic excuse - pull your fvcking finger out - you've had nearly two years to deal with this !!!!!! And don't get me started on GPs - they make Brighton binmen look hardworkers !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Seagull27]

I'm sure we all know COVID is a natural excuse for things these days but what is the worst example you have seen? Just been for a NHS Dentist check-up which took literally 2 minutes. A quick prod with the pokie thing and she pronounces all good but I have some plaque needs removing. Apparently she could only use a hand tool "coz Covid" which wouldn't do the job so I need to see a hygienist - for another £50 and a two month wait.

So that will be £23.80 + a £30 deposit for the future appointment for the 2 minutes you spent in our chair. Most telling was when I came out, the secretary said "I guess you want an appointment for the hygienist?" Before asking for my name. No-one had come out and she didn't who I was so hadn't seen an updated record. Nice little conveyer they have going - have someone in for 2 minutes, take their £23.80 and book a £50 appointment. Not sure how the hygienist doesn't have Covid issues but the dentist does but there you go.

So who do you feel has blagged you the most using the latest buzz word?

It might not be in the spirit of the thread, but there is actually a good reason for this. The ultrasonic tool that the hygienist uses squirts water at your teeth, which results in droplets being spread around the surgery, which is a fantastic way for covid to spread. They then (legally) have to have a "fallow time" before the next appointment, to let the droplets settle before it's considered safe. The dentist will likely be doing a number of checkup appointments in a row and won't know whether they'd have to use that sort of tool beforehand, so for efficiency they won't want to book fallow time in after your appointment just in case it happens to be needed. Whereas the hygienist will already have this planned in their diary, as all of their appointments will involve this.

Back in the spirit of the thread though - was looking at buying a car recently and one place only let you test drive if you had booked in advance online or by phone, "coz covid", and had to pay a (refundable) £99 deposit. The reason being that they had to prepare the car apparently. Even though we managed to book one when we were only 5 minutes away from the garage and funnily enough the car was ready on time...

 

[beorhthelm]

should be reportable in some way, thats clearly a scam. fairly transparent too, because the hygenist is OK to do the clean. GPs are shut coz covid too. boils my piss these two professions have tucked up the nation for years and absued covid to turn the screw more.

 

[Billy the Fish]

It might not be in the spirit of the thread, but there is actually a good reason for this. The ultrasonic tool that the hygienist uses squirts water at your teeth, which results in droplets being spread around the surgery, which is a fantastic way for covid to spread. They then (legally) have to have a "fallow time" before the next appointment, to let the droplets settle before it's considered safe. The dentist will likely be doing a number of checkup appointments in a row and won't know whether they'd have to use that sort of tool beforehand, so for efficiency they won't want to book fallow time in after your appointment just in case it happens to be needed. Whereas the hygienist will already have this planned in their diary, as all of their appointments will involve this.

Once the coming winter is finished and everyone's had their vaccines/boosters I really hope this kind of bollocks doesn't stick around.

 

[Notters]

Lucky you have an NHS dentist. There don't seem to be any available in West Yorkshire! Don't really understand this as surely they should be available to everyone or not at all.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

It might not be in the spirit of the thread, but there is actually a good reason for this. The ultrasonic tool that the hygienist uses squirts water at your teeth, which results in droplets being spread around the surgery, which is a fantastic way for covid to spread. They then (legally) have to have a "fallow time" before the next appointment, to let the droplets settle before it's considered safe. The dentist will likely be doing a number of checkup appointments in a row and won't know whether they'd have to use that sort of tool beforehand, so for efficiency they won't want to book fallow time in after your appointment just in case it happens to be needed. Whereas the hygienist will already have this planned in their diary, as all of their appointments will involve this.

Back in the spirit of the thread though - was looking at buying a car recently and one place only let you test drive if you had booked in advance online or by phone, "coz covid", and had to pay a (refundable) £99 deposit. The reason being that they had to prepare the car apparently. Even though we managed to book one when we were only 5 minutes away from the garage and funnily enough the car was ready on time...

Fair point - and I know how lucky we are to have an NHS dental service with capped prices. But at least try to clean with the metal pick that you are allowed. Or poke a mirror around. Literally just poke and prod your glands, look at your teeth shouting out numbers and chuck you out for £23.80 for 2 minutes. The clues were there with two large signs outside banging on about their new hygienist.

Now I need to try and phone the doctor again to give them blood pressure readings - I was queue position 20 when I tried this morning. Although coz Covid is probably a fair excuse for them.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Lucky you have an NHS dentist. There don't seem to be any available in West Yorkshire! Don't really understand this as surely they should be available to everyone or not at all.

That was the reason I went - didn't have any issues but worried that I hadn't been since February 2020 and didn't want to give them an excuse to kick me out even though they had cancelled on me last year for obvious reasons. There did seem to be quite a few around us taking on NHS patients a while back but doubt that is the same now. So you should always try and hang on to one if you can get one.