"Dental Care at the Eastman Hospital"

My dentist thought that I may have Erosive Lichen Planus. It is related to stress and was in keeping with the fact that I was off sick with Work Related Stress. He referred me to the Eastman Dental Hospital and suggested that I read about it on the internet (very helpful in reducing my anxiety). After a week I got an appointment to be seen really quickly at the Eastman. The written correspondence was very clear and well presented with all the information that I needed at that point.

When I attended the hospital a courteous man at main reception directed me to the department. In the department I met pleasant, polite receptionists, who had time to focus on their interaction with me and direct me to the open waiting area. Their was a television. The sound was off but the subtitles were turned on as a nice distraction (be good if someone could donate them a bigger screen). The atmosphere was quiet, and whilst staff were efficiently busy, their was no sense that their anxiety about work was infiltrating the patients space or areas..........Lovely.

I did not have to wait long when a very warm and friendly nurse came to take my basic physical observations. Her friendliness and warmth of character and clinical ability are of note. Then I met the doctor who took my history. I would say a natural kindness, patience, consideration, and her ability to consistently make me feel like I came first, and the reassurance she gave to me were of particular note. It was also very clear that she was a competent, clinically skilled, doctor who for the time she was with me blocked out the other pressures in a way that they did not impact me I. e. It really was a very busy clinic.

8 days later I was to return to the Eastman for a biopsy. Exactly the same as last time I. e. from the porter to the doctor they were all courteous, focussed on their interactions with me whilst speaking to me, helpful and anxiety containing.

I met a different nurse than the previous time. Yet again, of note was her friendliness, warmth, caring, good communication skills and I enjoyed chatting with her whilst waiting for the anaesthesia to kick in. I had the same doctor as before which was reassuring and of note was that the nurse and doctor worked well as a team. As I had expected the doctor demonstrated very good clinical skills in taking the biopsy, stitching, providing relevant information and reassurance.

I felt like I was given the courtesy and hospitality of a private patient with the high level clinical skills expected from the NHS. I think that the emphasis on staff appointments to work there must be on high level communication skills and social skills because the hospital could not have trained these staff in these aspects of care to the degree that they practiced them. I think that because dentistry is well known to be an anxiety provoking area for patients that the human resources have developed over time to create this type of work force. I think that Human Resources should share their philosophy of recruitment, although I appreciate that once the ball is rolling it will just attract similar types of staff.

THANK YOU EASTMAN DENTAL HOSPITAL. lONDON