The office park in dentistry

Arriving at The Lowood Hotel in Ambleside on Saturday morning (to speak at the annual conference of The Northern Deanery) I was delighted to bump into old friends Richard Wilson and John Lewis from what used to be Brunswick Square Dental in Penrith – now re-located to the new Ghyllmount Dental Practice.

Now I have some feedback on their web site – they are missing a few tricks – but what inspired me was the fact that, after much deliberation, they have finally found a new home and brand, extending the practice to include a beauty therapy centre.

After Richard sold the practice to John a few years ago (principal and associate swapped places with some coaching from me and a lot of mutual respect and trust), the search began for new premises that would allow them to evolve.

I remember walking around a potential town centre site with John a few years ago – a very exciting and eclectic historic building that would have been an award-winning development.

But the historic nature of the site eventually became a barrier for planning – and the search continued.

Penrith sits right beside the M6 and many of you will know The South Lakes Hotel right on the junction – a popular base for tourists and business travellers and a member of Shire Hotels, one of my favourite chains.

Right across the road sits an office park – and that is where Ghyllmount has been born.

I’m disappointed that the web site doesn’t seem to include any pictures but safe in the knowledge that they will be similar to many other clients who have taken that route.

Which eventually brings me to my point.

I’m seeing a lot of dental practices opening in office parks and John confirmed my expectation that, quite apart from the “lovely new surroundings” that will energise the patients and the team – its THE PARKING that seems to be most often mentioned.

Easy access and loads of parking in a modern development.

Sometimes the practice is fed by the thousands of people who work nearby – in the case of Ghyllmount they have simply transferred a mile away from their original location – but into a different world of customer service.

I expect to see more of this in the future.