Patient Complaints Procedure

It is our aim to always have satisfied patients, to meet your expectations of care and service, and to resolve any complaints as efficiently, effectively, and politely as possible. We take complaints very seriously, investigating them in a full and fair way, and take great care to protect your confidentiality. We learn from complaints to improve our care and service. We will never discriminate against patients who have made a complaint and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this procedure.

If you are not entirely satisfied with any aspect of our care or service, please let us know as soon as possible to allow us to address your concerns promptly. We accept complaints made verbally as well as written complaints. [If you do not feel you can raise a complaint about your NHS service directly with us, you can address your complaint directly to [V: see below to complete this section]].

[ Rachel Pencavel ] is the Complaints Manager and will be your personal contact to assist you with any complaints.

You can send your complaints to [ 18 High Street, Ellesmere, SY12 0EP ], call us on [ 01691 623333 ] or email the Complaints Manager on [ [email protected] ].

If the Complaints Manager is unavailable, we will take brief details about the complaint and will arrange for a meeting when it is suitable for you and the practice. We will keep comprehensive and confidential records of your complaint, which will be stored securely and only be accessible to those who need to know about your complaint. If the complaint investigation takes longer than anticipated, the Complaints Manager will contact you at least every ten working days to keep you informed of the reason for any delays, the progress of the investigation, and the proposed date it will be completed.

When the investigation has been completed, you will be informed of its outcome in writing. We will make our response clear, addressing each of your concerns as best as we can. You will also be invited to a meeting to discuss the results and any practical solutions that we can offer to you. These solutions could include replacing treatment, refunding fees paid, referring you for specialist treatments, or other solutions that meet your needs and resolve the complaint.

We regularly analyse patient complaints to learn from them and to improve our services. That’s why we always welcome your feedback, comments, suggestions, and complaints. If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint, you can take the matter further, please see the contacts below.

If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint, 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. Please see the contact details below.

Contacts

GDC private dental complaints service can be contacted by calling 020 8253 0800 or visiting www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk.

If you are still unhappy about your NHS complaint, you can contact [Y: see below to complete this section].

You can also contact [Z: see below to complete this section] who may be able to help.

The General Dental Council is responsible for regulating all dental professionals. You can complain using their online form at www.gdc-uk.org, contact them at [email protected], or by calling 020 7167 6000.

 

 

• In England = We aim to resolve verbal complaints within 24 hours where possible, but if you complain in writing the Complaints Manager will send an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing as soon as practical
• In Northern Ireland = We aim to resolve verbal complaints within 24 hours where possible but if you complain in writing the Complaints Manager will send an acknowledgement letter within 2 working days. We will aim to provide a full response in writing within 10 working days, if the complaint has been made directly to the practice, or within 20 working days of the date HSCB received the complaint if it was then referred to the practice
• In Scotland = We aim to resolve complaints that don’t require investigations within 5 working days of receiving the complaint and no letters will be sent by us. This can be extended to 10 working days, in exceptional circumstances, and by agreement with you. For complaints that require investigation, the Complaints Manager will send an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing within 20 working days

Y:

• In England = the Parliamentary Health Ombudsman (England): by calling 0345 015 4033 or visiting www.ombudsman.org.uk
• In Northern Ireland = the Northern Ireland Ombudsman by calling 0800 343 424 or visiting www.nidirect.gov.uk
• In Scotland = Scottish Public Services Ombudsman by calling 0800 377 7330 or visiting www.spso.org.uk

Z:

• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) who regulates private and NHS dental care services in England by calling 03000 616161. They can take action against a service provider that is not meeting their standards
• The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) who is Northern Ireland’s independent health and social care regulator) by calling 028 9051 7500. It can investigate complaints about independent (private) healthcare providers
• Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) who has responsibility for the regulation of independent healthcare services in Scotland by calling 0131 623 4300