Our aim is to react to complaints in the way in which we would want our complaints 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.

• The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is Charmaine Fernando, our complaints manager.
• If a patient complains on the telephone or at the reception desk, we will listen to the patients complaint and offer to refer to Charmaine Fernando immediately.
• If Charmaine Fernando is not available at the time, then the patient will be told when they are able to talk to the dentist and arrangements will be made for this to happen. The member of staff dealing with the complaint will take brief details of the complaint and pass them on. If we cannot arrange this within a reasonable period or if the patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for someone else to deal with it.
• If the patient complains in writing the letter will be passed on immediately to Charmaine Fernando.
• If a complaint is about any aspects of clinical care or associated charges it will normally be referred to the dentist, unless the patient does not want this to happen.
• We will acknowledge the patients 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 the complaint within ten working days of the complaint being received to give an explanation of the circumstances that led to the complaint. If the patient does not wish to have meeting regarding the complaint then we will attempt to contact them by telephone. If we are unable to investigate the complaint within ten working days we will notify the patient, giving a reason for the delay and a likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
• We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing to the patient immediately after completing our investigation.
• Proper and comprehensive reports are kept of any complaint received.
• If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure then a complaint may be made to:

NHS complaints
NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT
(Email: england.contactus@nhs.net) or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank London, WE1P 4QP
(tel: 0345 015 4033 or www.ombudsman.org.uk for complaints about NHS treatment.

Non- NHS Complaints
Dental Complaints Service, Stephenson House, 2 Cherry Orchard Road, Croydon, CR0 6BA
(Telephone: 08456 120 540) for complaints about private treatment.

The General Dental Council, 37 Wimpole Street, London, W1M 8DQ
(telephone: 0845 222 4141), the dentists regulatory body for complaints about professional misconduct.

Policy to be reviewed December 2019