Covid Price Increases

[DigiDuino]

PPE appears to be provided by the NHS to dentists in Scotland interestingly!

I did notice hand gel, masks etc were highly inflated a couple of months ago but that seems to be back down where I am?

 

[emmer_moans]

It will be interesting to see what the typical commercial Christmas confectionary and trimmings cost this year. Usually the price of a tin of Celebrations or Quality Street chocolates is a topic of conversation. I haven’t seen any yet.

 

[Mustard]

The basics such as milk, bread, eggs, toilet roll have significantly risen in my local Co-Op. Even more so in the local corner shop to the point I cannot shop there now as it is far more expensive than it was.

I have noticed in the past few months my usual tobacco has risen by around £1.50.

My local hairdresser has signs out stating due to Covid she has added an extra 20% on all her services. However she still offers use of her sunbeds for the usual price.

Hard to believe anyone uses sunbeds now.

 

[Yel]

Hi folks, dentist here. The reason PPE charge is so expensive is the PPE itself can be expensive and hard to source, times 2 for dentist and nurse, but also there’s the fact that after anything involving aerosols - air so even drying teeth for a check up - the surgery has to be left empty and then fully disinfected. Our fallow time is an hour, that can be more depending on the airflow in a surgery. So while it might be a 20 minute appointment for you in the chair, it’s really 1 hour 40 or so between donning the PPE, appointment, fallow time then full surgery disinfection It’s a total nightmare. I’m an NHS dentist so we’re a bit different but where we could previously see 20+ patients a day we’d now be lucky to see 6 if aerosols are involved. Dental practices are businesses and at the minute a lot of them are hugely struggling, so many having to let staff go and running the risk of bankruptcy, especially those that do majority private work. So the term “PPE charge” is maybe a bit misleading as it isn’t just the cost of the PPE itself that’s the problem. I wish the government would share this about a bit more readily rather than everyone assuming that dentists are trying to profiteer from the situation. Not to say there aren’t a few bad eggs as with everything but I know the vast majority are good dentists who aren’t trying to rip people off. They’re just trying to stay afloat.

I totally get that all. Although I do think it's illogical to treat every patient as if they are at high risk when we now know that those 70+ with health conditions are at risk and the vast majority are not likely to be affected.

Would make sense for most dentists to operate normally and other practices just treat high risk people. But that's very difficult to introduce and every private surgery would want to be the ones that operate normally. I worry about the long term dental health of the nation as it was already pretty bad before.

 

[Very traditional]

Celebrations, heroes, roses and quality street were £3.50 each in Tesco about a fortnight ago, I stocked up!

Oooh I remember seeing the celebrations tub as low as £4 at Tesco last year. They are still at this price now:

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/300917389

My favorite chocolates are Ferrero rochers which were down to £10 at Morrisions for 48 last year. I once paid £14 as a gift for someone at Christmas time 2 years before with delivery.

 

[eSsExBiRd]

I’ve checked and our practice isn’t charging NHS patients, only Private.

£7 non aerosol, £25 is it is an aerosol generating appointment. £21 extra isn’t too bad but some of these prices quoted are obscene. May people wouldn’t afford a check up until this is over

It’s a Bupa surgery and their website states that the Government have made extra allowances to cover the cost - why are some NHS practices charging these high amounts?

Or is Bupa sourcing from Wish and Shein?

Edited to add - Why is the word B U P A not allowed?

 

[Yel]

Yeah I think the private practices who do charge monthly plans maybe do have a bit of a cheek if they are keeping the full monthly fee after being closed but then still try to charge a lot extra... I don’t imagine patients being too happy?! I think the large corporate chains who’ve kept the monthly fees should manage to absorb the cost but who knows!

I cancelled mine in April, it became clear it was going to be difficult to get the 2 checkups and hygienist visits that I was paying for with all the backlog built up and they weren't going to give a refund if I didn't get what I've paid for. Then went on about how much they had been left behind and were struggling, like we all are but I don't like being guilted into carrying on a payment if I might not get the service.

Lots of the rules with dentists do seem silly, they're making people wait in the car if a couple is having a checkup even though they're from the same family. I don't get why they aren't extending their hours to catch up? If a two treatment room practice is only having one person at a time the backlog must really be piling up with every day. I was planning on waiting till October hoping it would quieten down, now it seems it's only going to get worse the longer I wait.

Totally offtopic and a conspiracy theory but I'm sure the dental industry is suppressing anything fancy like stem cell enamel so they still have lots of work to do.

 

[rainbowlemon]

Celebrations, heroes, roses and quality street were £3.50 each in Tesco about a fortnight ago, I stocked up!

Oh wow great job! I don't have a Tesco within walking distance.

I don't have the willpower to really stock up on chocolate and it usually gets eaten as soon as I buy it- even if I buy more than one packet.

 

[Renegadedancer]

Well done you for not needing work done!
The backlog is absolutely crazy. I work in a deprived area so lots of dental neglect and subsequent problems and it’s actually insane the list we have, and that’s only people who have been symptomatic... lots of dental problems aren’t picked up until we do exams as things don’t often get painful until they’re advanced Gives me so much anxiety if I let myself think too much about it!

You can only do what you can, hats off to you. Whilst I was waiting the phone was constantly ringing. Where there are few/no check ups available people are waiting and then the fillings and worse develop. My dentist have actually been very good with patients that were already registered. I really
Feel for people that aren’t able to be seen

 

[MaxieMoo]

I paid £40 for PPE at the dentist this week.

I understand they need to charge this but I use a private dentist which I pay a monthly fee to them. Obviously I've paid the last six months to them despite them being closed for most of it. I don't expect a refund but when they are able to fit me in I'll be a bit gutted if they charge me lots for PPE.

I go to two different hairdressers - 1 for cut and a different one for my colour. The lady that cuts didn't increase her prices at all which was strange (so gave a bigger tip). The place that colours put it up by at least £15 (maybe even more). Said it was due to product price rise and PPE.

So many things are just creeping up.

 

[DigiDuino]

I wasn’t charged for just getting my tooth checked but I am going to have to get an aerosol procedure done and it is costing an extra £40.

makes sense, I was considering waiting but I think this extra charge will be around for a long time?

 

[emmer_moans]

Hi folks, dentist here. The reason PPE charge is so expensive is the PPE itself can be expensive and hard to source, times 2 for dentist and nurse, but also there’s the fact that after anything involving aerosols - air so even drying teeth for a check up - the surgery has to be left empty and then fully disinfected. Our fallow time is an hour, that can be more depending on the airflow in a surgery. So while it might be a 20 minute appointment for you in the chair, it’s really 1 hour 40 or so between donning the PPE, appointment, fallow time then full surgery disinfection It’s a total nightmare. I’m an NHS dentist so we’re a bit different but where we could previously see 20+ patients a day we’d now be lucky to see 6 if aerosols are involved. Dental practices are businesses and at the minute a lot of them are hugely struggling, so many having to let staff go and running the risk of bankruptcy, especially those that do majority private work. So the term “PPE charge” is maybe a bit misleading as it isn’t just the cost of the PPE itself that’s the problem. I wish the government would share this about a bit more readily rather than everyone assuming that dentists are trying to profiteer from the situation. Not to say there aren’t a few bad eggs as with everything but I know the vast majority are good dentists who aren’t trying to rip people off. They’re just trying to stay afloat.

Thanks for the info, I didn't realise the implications of doing the aerosols stuff.

 

[Prodcon21]

I do The customer has to clean it and the salon then cleans it again before the next customer.

My Hairdresser hasn’t increased prices and still offers a local discount of 20%!

I thought she meant in terms of cancer risks, not Covid

 

[Yel]

I've heard of dentists that are now applying a £20 - £40 ppe surcharge, but £80 is the worst yet. Is that per appointment or per course of treatment?

Ridiculous, the UK is going to have such bad teeth for decades to come.

In fairness it was for a check up and hygienist. But still, I doubt the ppe costs that much and couldn't they use reusable? Although I do get it's the time to put it on and the extra cleaning and all that you're paying for not just the ppe.

I think lots of companies are trying to make up for earnings but I think people will now go to the dentist less and not swim instead.

 

[Chatter]

I have noticed that about 80 per cent of the items I buy regularly have shot up. Sometimes by a fifth! This is across a range of supermarkets - I have the option of a Sainsbury, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, M & S and Morrison, and I am not loyal to any of them, so go to do a shop wherever I am near at that time. It is the same for all of them. If they haven’t put the price up they have tinkered with the quantity so you are paying same for less.

Even Wilko’s. For years I have been buying their cotton wool pads, they are cheap, decent quality and do the job. They recently changed the packaging but price remained the same. Now the pads are about a third thinner making them substantially less absorbent so they have kept the price down but reduced the quality so that they are almost useless so I will be buying elsewhere.

BREXIT is going to make things worse.

 

[Renegadedancer]

Re dentists, I went last week for check up and hygienist visit. Check was £77.50 up from £60.00 (six months ago) and hygienist was £75.00 up from from £60.00 (Six months ago) There was no mention of the PPE costs I think it has just been automatically built in. It’s a lot of money but TBH I was happy to get an appointment and come away with no work needing to be done. The backlogs for actual dental work are huge.

 

[Chablis1]

Anyone else noticed huge increases in some places?

The dentist now has an £80 covid supplement fee
Swimming was £4.80 and now £8! Limited to 50 minutes and you have to book in advance.

Hairdressers you understand the small additional fee, others seem to have added huge amounts on.

Yes, I have! Even my hairdresser - you’d have highlights done and the cut and blow dry would be included in the price. Not anymore. You have to pay extra.

 

[xfeelingthis]

I understand they need to charge this but I use a private dentist which I pay a monthly fee to them. Obviously I've paid the last six months to them despite them being closed for most of it. I don't expect a refund but when they are able to fit me in I'll be a bit gutted if they charge me lots for PPE.

I go to two different hairdressers - 1 for cut and a different one for my colour. The lady that cuts didn't increase her prices at all which was strange (so gave a bigger tip). The place that colours put it up by at least £15 (maybe even more). Said it was due to product price rise and PPE.

So many things are just creeping up.

Yeah I think the private practices who do charge monthly plans maybe do have a bit of a cheek if they are keeping the full monthly fee after being closed but then still try to charge a lot extra... I don’t imagine patients being too happy?! I think the large corporate chains who’ve kept the monthly fees should manage to absorb the cost but who knows!

RE hairdresser, I’d be a bit suspect myself if not charging anything extra at all... obviously that sounds good on the face of it but I think most are charging more because they’re needing to have in less clients at the time, more time in between them so a shorter turnaround... so if people are able to charge their usual prices it’s either out of sheer goodwill (which is lovely and to be commended) or because they aren’t actually doing anything differently which is potentially a concern? Obviously though I don’t know the layout etc of your hairdresser salon though! But I know my old hairdresser is charging a bit extra because she’s leaving seats empty to socially distance.

 

[Interestingbitsnbats]

Can't afford the dentist then everytime i go they don't do anything anyway so not be going there till my teeth are very bad.

 

[emmer_moans]

Yes, as far as I've seen all private dentists are applying large PPE surcharges now, NHS ones are not supposed to but some seem to be.

That's if you can actually find an NHS dentist that's even open at all, none of them are doing routine stuff like check ups yet, just emergency stuff where the patient is in actual pain

I think I will forgo my yearly check this year and keep brushing