Please let us know if you are unhappy with any aspect of our care. We aim to provide a high level of service and ensure all our patients are satisfied with their experience while in our care.
When we receive a complaint, we aim to deal with it in a prompt and courteous manner, to ensure the matter is resolved as quickly as possible. We learn from every complaint and try to ensure mistakes are not repeated. Where necessary, we amend our protocols to minimise the chance of this problem happening again.
- The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is Sahira Khan.
- If you complain on the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen to your complaint and offer to refer you to Sahira.
- If Sahira is not available at that time, we will take details of the complaint and pass them on as soon as possible. If Sahira is unable to contact you within a reasonable period, or you do not wish to wait to discuss the matter, we will make arrangements for someone else to deal with the complaint.
- If we receive your complaint in writing, we will pass on your letter to Sahira immediately.
- If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the dentist, unless you do not want this to happen. We will tell you when you can talk to the dentist and make arrangements for this to take place.
- If you do not wish to meet us to discuss the complaint, we will attempt to talk to you on the telephone.
- We will acknowledge your complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this code of practice as soon as possible, normally within two working days.
- We will seek to investigate your complaint within ten working days following receipt of the complaint to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint.
- If we are unable to investigate your complaint within ten working days, we will notify you, giving reasons for the delay and how long it will take to investigate the complaint.
- We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing to you immediately after completing our investigation.
- We keep proper and comprehensive records of any complaint received.
- We may need to share your complaint with the Commissioning Support Units (CSU) but only when you have given your written consent.
If you are not satisfied with the result of our complaints procedure, we recommend that you contact one of the following organisations:
Financial Ombudsman:
https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/
complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk
Call the helpline on 0800 023 4567
If you are dissatisfied with our response and your agreement is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, you have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge, but you must do so within six months of the date of the final response or 8 week holding letter. Further information and contact details can be found on www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.
NHS Treatment:
NHS Commissioning Board
PO Box 16738
Redditch
B97 9PT
Tel: 0300 311 2233
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net
www.england.nhs.uk
Private Treatment:
Dental Complaints Service
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1G 8DQ
Tel: 020 8253 8000
E-mail: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk
www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
Tel: 0345 015 4033
www.ombudsman.org.uk
Care Quality Commission
CQC National Customer Service Centre
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA
Tel: 03000 616161
www.cqc.org.uk
The General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1M 8DQ
Tel: 020 7167 6000
www.gdc-uk.org
