Patient Complaints Procedure

Complaints Policy at The Dental Centre London

At The Dental Centre, we want to ensure that all our patients are pleased with their experience of our service. We take complaints very seriously indeed. If a patient makes a complaint, we will deal with the matter courteously and promptly so that it is resolved as quickly as possible. Our complaints policy and procedures are based on these objectives. At The Dental Centre, we have an effective complaints system in place to ensure that identifying, receiving, recording, handling and responding to any comments, observations, concerns or complaints occurs within a strict timetable that is clearly documented. We aim to ensure that any complainant is treated sensitively and in a manner that respects their human rights and diversity.

How do I complain about dental care provided?

If you wish to make a complaint about the service you received you can do this verbally, or in writing to any member of our team. Please contact: Practice Manager The Dental Centre 139 Euston Road London NW1 2AA Tel: 020 7380 0034 Email: [email protected]

How will my complaint be handled?

Verbal complaints

A verbal complaint will be listened to and brief details of the complaint will be taken and then passed on to the practice manager, providing that you give consent to us doing this.

You will then be offer to speak to the Practice Manager, Sharon Ricketts immediately. If Sharon Ricketts is not available at the time, you will be advised of when they will be able to speak to her and arrangements will be made for this to happen. If the patient has consented to their concerns or issues being written down, the team member will. If we cannot arrange this within a reasonable time period or if the patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for Sharon Ricketts to deal with it.

Written complaints

If you wish to make a complaint about the service you received you can do this verbally, or in writing to any member of our team. Please contact: Practice Manager The Dental Centre 139 Euston Road London NW1 2AA Tel: 020 7380 0034 Email: [email protected]

All complaints about clinical care or associated charges will be referred to the clinician concerned, unless the patient does not want this to happen.

We will provide an acknowledgement of your complaint within 3 working days, accompanying copy of our Code of Practice and a copy of your Complaints Policy and Procedures.

We will investigate the complaint to enable us to give an explanation of the circumstances that led to the complaint within ten working days of receipt. 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.

We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing immediately after completing our investigation.

We make and keep proper and comprehensive records of any complaint received.

If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure, then a complaint may be made to:

The Dental Complaints Service for complaints about private treatment
Address: Stephenson House, 2 Cherry Orchard, Croydon, CR0 6BA
Phone: 0208 253 0800
Email: [email protected]

The General Dental Council
Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London, W1M 8DQ
Phone: 0207 167 6000
Email: [email protected]

NHS England for complaints about NHS treatment
Address: NHS England, PO Box 6738, Redditch, B97 9PT
Phone: 0300 311 2233
Email: [email protected] with: ‘For the attention of the complaints team’ in the subject line.

The Care Quality Commission
Address: Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE14PA
Phone: 03000 616161
Email: [email protected]

The Dental Centre Code of Practice

for patients who wish to raise concerns.

In The Dental Centre we place great emphasis on meeting and whenever possible, exceeding our patients’ expectations. We try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service and we take any concerns a patient may have very seriously.

If you have a concern regarding any aspect of your care, please let us know. We will do all that we can to resolve your concern to your satisfaction promptly and professionally.

Our aim is to respond to your concerns in a caring and sensitive way.

The person responsible for dealing with any concerns about the service we provide in this practice is Fernando Bristot.

If you raise an issue you are concerned or unhappy about on the telephone or at the reception desk, after listening to a description of the problem the person with whom you raise your concern will try to resolve the issue to your satisfaction immediately.

If the person with whom you raise your concern is unable to resolve the issue for any reason, we will contact Fernando Bristot immediately. Should Fernando Bristot be unavailable at the time, we will advise you when they will be available, and arrangements will be made for you to meet or speak with him.

If for any reason Fernando Bristot is going to be unable to meet you or speak with you at a time that is convenient to you, we will arrange for Dr. Shihab S. Hussein to take responsibility for dealing with your concern or complaint.

The team member with whom you first raised your concern will take brief details from you and pass these to Fernando Bristot so that they can familiarise themselves with your concern prior to meeting you or speaking with you.

If you choose to write to us to express your concern rather than raising it verbally, your letter or email will be passed on to the relevant person immediately.

We will acknowledge any concerns you raise in writing within three days and we will also include a copy of this Code of Practice with our response. We will investigate your concern and report back within ten working days of it being received. If we are unable to complete our investigations within ten working days for any reason, we will notify you, giving reasons for the delay and the likely period within which the investigation will be completed.

We will confirm the outcome of the investigation and any decisions made in writing.

We will keep proper and comprehensive records of any concerns or complaints received.

We will do all we can to resolve your issue, concern or complaint to your satisfaction. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with the outcome or the procedure, we will advise you of other avenues open to you for raising concerns. These are:

The Dental Complaints Service for complaints about private treatment.
Address: Stephenson House, 2 Cherry Orchard, Croydon, CR0 6BA
Phone: 0208 253 0800
Email: [email protected]

The General Dental Council (GDC) (the clinicians’ professional regulator].
Address: 37 Wimpole Street, London, W1M 8DQ
Phone: 0207 167 6000
Email: [email protected]

NHS England for complaints about NHS treatment.
Address: NHS England, PO Box 6738, Redditch, B97 9PT
Phone: 0300 311 2233
Email: [email protected] with: ‘For the attention of the complaints team’ in the subject line.

The Care Quality Commission (the regulator for all of health and social care)
Address: Citygate, Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne NE14PA
Phone: 03000 616161
Email: [email protected]