Stamford Bridge Dental Code of practice for patient complaints

In this practice we take complaints very seriously indeed and try to ensure that all our 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 customers’ concerns in a caring and sensitive way.

If you have a complaint of concern about the service you have received from the dentists or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know.  We operate a practice complaints procedure.  Our complaint system adheres to national criteria.

How to 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 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 6 months of the incident that caused the problem; or
• within 6 months of discovering that you have a problem, provided this is within 12 months of the incident.

Complaints about the treatment you received should be made in writing to the dentist who normally sees you.  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, if you would like this;
• ensure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate;
• identify what we can do to make sure the problem does not happen again.

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 have to know that you have 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 the Dental Complaints Service, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.  If you wish further advice you should contact:

Dental Complains Service
Stephenson House
2 Cherry Orchard Road
Croydon
CR0 6BA

Tel: 0845 612 0540

Email: info@dentalcomplaints.org.uk

You may also like to contact the General Dental Council for more advice:

General Dental Council 37 Wimpole Street London W1M 8DQ Tel: 0207 887 3800 Email: complaints@gdc-uk.org

For those patients who have a complaint regarding treatment they have received under the NHS can also contact NHS England on Tel: 0300 311 2233.

For those patients registered with this practice with Denplan can contact Denplan Tel: 0800 169 7220.

At Stamford Bridge Dental we will acknowledge any complaint within  2 working days and will provide an explanation within 10 working days.

We aim to reach a satisfactory conclusion within 28 days.

It’s the job of the Care Quality Commission to make sure that health and social care services in England provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care. They do this by inspecting and monitoring the care that services provide.

To do their job well, it’s really important that people like you tell them about your experience of care.

By providing them with this information, you’ll help improve the overall quality of care in England. You’ll also help prevent poor care and abuse happening to others in the future.

To share your experience of care at Stamford Bridge Dental please visit the CQC website using the button below: