If you have a complaint or are concerned about the service you have received from the dentist or any of the staff then please let us know.
We operate a practice complaints procedure for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
How to complain:
We strive to ensure that most problems are resolved easily and quickly when the problem arises. If your problem cannot be sorted out this way and you wish to make a complaint, we will respond within three working days, enabling us to establish what happened. If it is not possible to do that, please provide us with the details of your complaint within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem.
Complaints should be addressed to our Practice Manager. You may ask for an appointment to discuss your concerns. We will explain the complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will be a great help if you are as specific as possible about your complaint.
Complaints
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to investigate your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We can then offer you an explanation, or a meeting with the people involved. When we investigate your complaint, we shall aim to:
- Find the root of the problem, listen to exactly what happened.
- Will give you a chance to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would prefer this.
- Identify what we can do to ensure the problem does not happen again.
If a patient chooses to make a complaint or claim, we may need to provide information about the patient, and treatment they have received, to insurers, indemnifiers, or legal advisers.
Complaining on behalf of someone else:
Please note that we are very strict on the rules of confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have their permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed unless they are incapable (due to physical and mental illness) and we have evidence of this.
The Dental Complaints Service:
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will use our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will provide the best chance of rectifying the problem and an opportunity to improve our practice. However, this does not affect your right to complain to an independent body, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or if you are dissatisfied with our resolution.
For further advice, you should contact:
For private dental treatment you can contact the GDC private dental complaints service within 12 months of the treatment or within 12 months of becoming aware of the issue by calling 020 8253 0800 or you can visit www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk
You can also contact The Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC regulates dental care services in England by calling 03000 616 161.
They can take action against a service provider that is not meeting their standards.
The General Dental Council is responsible for regulating all dental professionals. You can complain online via www.gdc-uk.org or you can contact them via email: information@gdc-org.uk or you can call them directly at 020 7167 6000.