Policy for Handling Patient Complaints

In this Practice we take complaints very seriously indeed and try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service. When patients complain, they are dealt with courteously and promptly so that the matter is resolved as quickly as possible. This procedure is based on these objectives.

Our aim is to react to complaints in the way in which we would want our complaint about a service to be handled. We learn from every mistake that we make and we respond to patients’ concerns in a caring and sensitive way.

  1. The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is our Practice Manager, Cheryl Coley-Smith.
  2. If a patient complains on the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen to his or her complaint and offer to refer him or her to Mrs Cheryl Coley-Smith (Practice Manager) immediately. If Mrs Coley-Smith is not available at the time the patient will be told when he or she will be able to talk to her and arrangements will be made for this to happen.  The member of staff will take brief details of the complaint and pass them on. 
  3. If the patient complains in writing or email the letter will be passed on immediately to Mrs Coley-Smith.
  4. If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges it will normally be referred to Dr Coley-Smith, unless the patient does not want this to happen.
  5. We will acknowledge the patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this code of practice as soon as possible, normally within three working days. We will seek to investigate the complaint within ten working days of the complaint being received to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. If the patient does not wish to meet us, then we will attempt to talk to him or her on the telephone. If we are unable to investigate the complaint within ten working days we will notify the patient, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
  6. We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing to the patient immediately after completing our investigation.
  7. Proper and comprehensive reports are kept of any complaint received.
  8. If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure then a complaint may be made to:

Solihull and the Black Country Area Team
2nd Floor St Chads Court
213 Hagley Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B16 9RG

Tel: 0121 695 2222

If a complaint is not resolved locally it is now passed directly to the Health Service Ombudsman

        www.ombudsman.org.uk

The General Dental Council
37 Wimpole Street
London
W1M 8DQ 

Tel: 0845 2224141 or 0207 8873800

Email: complaints@gdc-uk.org

(The dentists’ regulatory body for complaints about professional misconduct).

The Dental Complaints Service
The Lansdowne Building
2 Lansdowne Road
Croydon
Greater London
CR9 2ER

Tel: 08456 120540

        http://www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk

(For complaints about private treatment)

The Practice must report all complaints to the NHS Business Services Authority using online form KO41b Dental.

26th February 2023

Review: February 2024