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Complaints Procedure
At Cricklade Dental Practice we pride ourselves on the high quality of care we provide our patients. Our aim is to look after you as we wish to be looked after ourselves.
However, if you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the dentists or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We take practice complaints very seriously and follow a procedure that adheres to national guidelines.
How do I complain?
We hope that most problems can be sorted out easily and quickly, at the time they arise and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted in this way and you wish to make a formal complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible – ideally, within a matter of days or at most a few weeks – because this will enable us to establish what happened most easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint:
• Within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• Within 12 months of discovering that you have a problem
Complaints about the treatment you received should be made to the dentist who normally sees you. Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment for a consult in order to discuss your concerns. They will explain the complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will help if you are as clear as possible about your complaint.
What we shall do
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days and aim to have looked into your complaint within 10 working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a position to give you an explanation or offer a meeting with those involved.
In investigating your complaint, we shall aim to
• Find out what happened and what went wrong
• Enable you to discuss the problem with those concerned
• Ensure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate
• Identify what we can do to ensure the problem does not happen again
As General Dental Council registered practitioners we are required to
• Put patients’ interests first
• Communicate effectively with patients
• Obtain patients’ valid consent
• Maintain and protect patients’ information
• Have a clear and effective complaints procedure
• Work with colleagues in a way that is in patients’ best interests
• Maintain, develop and work within our professional knowledge and skills
• Raise concerns if patients are at risk
• Make sure our personal behaviour maintains patients’ confidence in the dental profession
Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we keep strictly to the rules of confidentiality. If you are complaining on behalf of someone else, we must know that you have the permission to do so. A note signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable of providing this because of physical or mental illness or are a child under 16 years.
Complaining to Dental Complaints Service
We hope that, if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong 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 you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.
What do I do if I’m not satisfied with the outcome?
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can escalate this to Denplan or the Dental Complaints Service. By clicking on the button that describes your patient relationship with the practice, you will be provided with the correct contact details.