Over 500 people queued in “pouring rain” at a Scottish practice to register as NHS patients on October 21.
8 to 8 Dental, a family-run practice in the historic town of Forres, advertised the open morning. The owners ended up extending the time to provide appointments for everyone who turned out.
Hiranya Fadia, the practice owner, said the total number of sign-ups was 520.
Speaking to the Forres Gazette, Hiranya said, “We half expected a good turnout, but 520 is quite overwhelming! We started 30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time as people had been waiting in line much earlier, and the line - which included both young and the old - was growing rapidly.”
The practice team worked together to ensure that the event was conducted in a “fair and orderly manner.” Hiranya explained, “Our staff members Julie, Jackie, Sandra, Sam and Beth efficiently managed the crowd. We also had the dentists, including myself, Mr Smart, Ms Sinclair and Mr Cheah help out by carrying out data entry onto our computer system.”
The event was allowed to finish two hours later than planned as staff were “determined” to “sign up everyone who made the effort to stand in the pouring rain.”