Lessons from "The Bear"

I was chatting to a fiend about the TV seires ‘The Bear” the other day. If you have not been watching I recommend this series; even if you have to buy a Disney+ subscription.

I’m into food, but I’m also passionate about supporting people/ staff in personal and professional transformation; hence this newsletter I suppose.

If you’re not really into food, then skip to episode 7. There’s a few takeaways for anyone who wants to learn about service. My favorite book “Unreasonable Hopsitality” (see previous newsletter) gets a screenshot and the journey of Richie from recalcitrant team member to a man with purpose was beautifully drawn. There’s so much you can take away and share with your team members if you’re a leader or with your DA if your domain reaches only as far as the door of your surgery.

I think the most important thing is, if you as the clincian are not modelling authentic service to your patients then your staff won’t either.

Some people get it naturally and are born to service and others have to learn the value and the joy that it can bring to their role.

I did work with a receptionist who once drove and picked up an elderly gentleman in order to fill a gap in the book! You have to watch the episode in its entirity in order to get this reference.

It’s was Dental Health Week last week here in Australia.

My question is; how come it’s not dental health week every week in our practices?

The delivery of dentistry in Australia may not be perfect and there are certainly sections of the population that face challenges in access to timely and affordable care, however, I feel we are in a better place that what is happening in the UK.

Having worked in the NHS when I first graduated, a public dental clinic in Australia, a health fund setting and private practice, I feel I have had exposure to a range of service models.

In the UK at present, a lot of dentists are facing the decision to remain or leave the NHS. To remain on the current contract, it seems to be impossible to run a profitable business. Other parts of the NHS are struggling for funding as well.

They are faced with a couple of issues; their passionate belief in the NHS care which I see as a form of Stockholm syndrome. In addition, the population of the UK’s pride in a system that needs fundamental reform in order to meet the needs of every increasing chronic disease burden and the costs of modern service delivery.

A friend of mine lives in an area of the UK bereft of NHS dentists and his perception is he “can’t find a dentist”. He can, and there’s some very good and ethical dentists in their town that I know of, however, he cannot fathom paying for his dental care even though cost would not be an issue for him. His is the long held expectation that it should be free and that private dentistry is not dentistry.

Similarly I had an English patient in this week, who said his teeth had “paid the price of years of NHS dentistry” ! My repsonse was that it’s funny when people say things like that as:

1. I was an NHS dentist once

2. That’s not an uncommon quip for English people

   and yet…

3. Now they’re complaining they can’t get an NHS dentist

   Go figure

It’s interesting to note that

Meanwhile in Australia

I believe attendance is about the value propostition rather than the cost of dentistry.

Have a great week and dont forget to share with a friend or colleague

Rosie