One of the things which you generally have to do when you move to a new area is to get a new doctor and dentist. I hadn't actually changed my dentist for quite a while, and had been making the trips back to Kingswinford to visit the guy whom I'd seen for my whole life - until recently he retired.

Having bought my house and settled in, I decided it was time to get some new local services. Of course, the gossip and news concerning the NHS over the last few months and years had led me to be somewhat doubtful about my chances of fulfilling this task successfully. The last time I went to the dentist I paid a fair amount of money for the privilege, as the entire practice had gone private. I have to admit that I am also rather confused about the way in which dentists are organised in this country these days. There's continual stuff in the news about there not being enough - a couple of years ago I remember seeing queues around the block on television in Scarborough when a new NHS dentist opened. My brother also recently told me that he'd been accepted at a new dentist - but only since his fiancee was already a patient there. Grim prospects for me.

So, somewhat doubtful, yesterday I called up my local practice, the Cadbury Dental Practice in Bournville. I told them that I'd recently moved into the area and was looking for a dentist. "No problem, just let me take some details", said the cheerful woman on the phone. She asked if I also wanted a check-up, and I said that I did, at which point she offered me a cancellation spot for this morning. I was registered as an NHS patient automatically, and told that the current charges meant that I just had to pay around £15 per trip. She helpfully explained the price banding system, which means that even major surgery only costs me just over £100. Granted, this is the NHS, and I do believe that it should be free at the point of delivery, but it's a far cry from the long queues, family-friend networks and high prices at my previous (now private) practice.

This morning, I turned up - and yes, it is actually inside the Cadbury factory, and thankfully all was well with my teeth. There really is something ironic about having a dentist inside a chocolate factory, but having chuckled at that, I'm now sorted.

Registration with a new doctor was just as simple. I just called in this morning (both doctor and dentist are within easy walking distance), told them I'd moved in to the area, and filled out a couple of forms. They've offered me a health check next week.

So, is this a bit of a fluke and not at all typical of the NHS today? Are the stories we hear about in the press largely unfounded? Well, I don't know what the statistics are, but the NHS gets a big thumbs up from where I'm standing.