For over 15 years, Lupus Street Dental Practice operated on a small-is-beautiful basis however, by the early 2000s, practice owner Harish Patel could see that expansion would offer new opportunities and he began to establish plans for growth.
Priti Acharya, the practice's specialist orthodontic associate and assistant manager, explains; 'In late 2009 the GP surgery next door moved to merge with another practice so Harish took the decision to purchase their building, tripling the floor space available.'
To work on this project Harish started to assemble a first class team and following a colleague's recommendation met with Chris Lloyd of Bondent. The meeting left him feeling confident Bondent would help them design and build the new practice he envisaged.
Carefully selecting the rest of the team, Harish chose Aspects Builders led by David Wells and David Broady, Microminder to supply their IT hardware and Wright Cottrell and Dentsply for dental instruments and small equipment. The acrylic, handle-free cabinetry was manufactured by Modwood.
Choosing the new dental chairs wasn't a difficult decision, as Priti explains. 'Our pre-existing chairs were Takara Belmont so we knew they were reliable and durable and had given us many years of excellent service. We opted for Cleo II chairs as the knee-break design offers easy access for disabled and elderly patients and we liked the ergonomics and small footprint.'
Following architectural planning, the two phase project commenced in early 2010. Whilst the practice continued to operate as normal the old GP surgery was gutted and rebuilt to house two surgeries, a reception, waiting room, office, staff room and patient facilities. Then over the Easter weekend the entire dental practice relocated to the new space, freeing up the old building for its own refurbishment into two new surgeries, an instrument preparation room, staff facilities and secure storage for patient records and clinical waste. Over one weekend the connecting wall was breached and a new window frontage was installed. In total the practice was closed for just four days.
Priti is full of compliments for the team and how they worked together. 'The project was not without challenges and it was the team's priority to ensure the existing practice suffered minimal disruption to staff and patients during the rebuild. Aspects Builders was highly professional, working to a realistic timetable throughout and requesting very few days of closure and always with sufficient notice. Bondent was also excellent. Chris Lloyd's team worked hard to ensure our expectations were met and was flexible and willing to spend time with us, researching our requests and introducing us to previous clients to view equipment. They worked brilliantly alongside Aspects and Microminder, communicating constantly to make sure everything stayed on track.'
Reflecting on what they have achieved, Priti has some useful advice for anyone embarking on a similar project. 'You definitely get what you pay for so investment in excellent architectural planning, builders and equipment is a must. Good design and quality construction is crucial. Also, plan ahead and future-proof your design where your budget allows, keeping a note of any 'behind the scenes' enhancements so they aren't forgotten in the long term. For instance, although Harish's surgery had a ceiling-mounted patient television installed as part of the rebuild, we've also placed additional ceiling supports in the other surgeries so televisions can be added across the practice in the future. I would also contact colleagues who have refurbished, as you can avoid making costly mistakes by using their hindsight. Lastly, choose suppliers who have a reputation for superior after sales service, this is much more important than short term savings. Chris Lloyd gave us confidence that if a problem arose, I could rely on him to address it.'
The end result has certainly been worth the investment for Harish and Priti. 'We have created an inviting, modern, clutter-free environment that staff take pride in and patients enjoy visiting. Many patients say they feel like they are having NHS treatment in a private practice environment. We are delighted to say this is reflected in the steady increase in patient numbers through recommendations.'