COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE.
If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the dentist or any
of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate a practice based
complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system
adheres to national criteria.
How to complain
We hope that most problems can be sorted our easily and quickly, often at the time they arise
and with the person concerned. If your problem cannot be sorted out 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
more easily. If it is not possible to do that, please let us have details of your complaint.
Complaints should be addressed to Nigel Jones or any of the dentists. Alternatively, you may ask
for an appointment with Nigel Jones in order to discuss your concerns he will explain the
complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will
be a great help if you are as specific as possible with your complaint.
What will we do?
We shall acknowledge your complaint within two working days and aim to have looked into your
complaint within ten working days of the date when you raised it with us. We shall then be in a
position to offer you an explanation, or a meeting with those involved. In investigating your
complaint, we shall aim to: find our what happened and what went wrong; make it possible for you
to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this; make sure you receive an
apology, where this is appropriate; identify what we can do to make sure the problem doesn't
happen again.
Complaining of 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 know that you have permission to do so. A note
signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of physical or
mental illness) of providing this.
Complaining to the NHS England.
We hope that N.H.S. patients who have a problem will use 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. But this does not affect your right to approach the NHS, if
you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our
investigation you should contact the NHS England complaints manager. If the practice is unable
to resolve a NHS complaint the patient is referred to the Parliamentary & Health Services
Ombudsman.
Private treatment.
Private patients can approach the "Dental complaints service" if they feel we have been unable
to resolve an issue relating to private treatment.
