Superb FFT results

All providers of health care are required to carry out the Family and Friends Test as part of the NHS’ commitment to improving the patient experience.

The scores were high for all four DEFs: Exeter scored 100 per cent; Devonport and Derriford 95 per cent; and Truro 94 per cent.

Patient comments included: “best treatment I have had”; “I found this to be an excellent service couldn’t be more pleased with it”; “excellent care was very scared but feeling much better about going to the dentist now”, and;“thorough and good quality supervised treatment.”

DEFs are where dental students treat NHS patients as part of their studies, under the supervision of qualified dental care professionals. The first DEF opened in Exeter, in 2008, and since then around 18,000 people in Devon and Cornwall have received NHS dental care where they may not have done so before.

The Friends and Family Test results come at a time when a new DEF is being developed for NHS patients in and around Exeter. The current DEF is situated at Heavitree Hospital and opened in 2008. Since then first year dental students have provided basic NHS dental treatments and assessments under the supervision of qualified dental care professionals and the DEF was limited to 17 dental chairs.