Patient Complaints Procedure

It is our aim to always have satisfied patients, to meet your expectations of care and service and to resolve any complaints as efficiently, effectively and politely as possible. We take complaints very seriously, investigate them in a full and fair way taking great care to protect your confidentiality. We learn from complaints to improve our care and service. We never discriminate against patients who have made a complaint and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this procedure.

If you are not satisfied with any aspect of our care or service, please let us know as soon as possible to allow us to address your concerns promptly. We accept complaints made verbally as well as written complaints

Complaints are handled by either Keziah Lambert- Complaints and Practice Manager, or Jane Spurr- Assistant manager, and will be your personal contact to assist you with any complaints. We aim to resolve verbal complaints within 24 hours where possible, but if you complain in writing you will be sent an acknowledgement letter within 3 working days and will aim to provide a full response in writing as soon as practical.

You can send your complaints to 668 Mansfield Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, NG5 2GE or call us on 0115 9856156 or email the Complaints Manager on info@sherwooddentalcare.co.uk

If the Complaints Managers are unavailable, we will take brief details about the complaint and will arrange for a meeting when it is suitable for you and the practice. We will keep comprehensive and confidential records of your complaint, which will be stored securely and only be accessible by those who need to know about your complaint. If the complaint investigation takes longer than anticipated, you will be contacted at least every ten working day to keep you informed of the reason for any delays, the progress of the investigation and the proposed date it will be completed.

When the investigation has been completed, you will be informed of its outcome in writing. We will make our response clear, addressing each of your concerns as best as we can. You will also be invited to a meeting to discuss the results and any practical solutions that we can offer to you. These solutions could include replacing treatment, refunding fees paid, referring you for specialist treatments or other solutions that meet your needs and resolve the complaint.

We regularly analyse patient complaints to learn from them and to improve our services. That’s why we always welcome your feedback, comments, suggestions and complaints. If you are dissatisfied with our response to a complaint you can take the matter further, please see the contacts below

Contacts

Complaints – Further Contacts

We recommend that you contact us first to give us the opportunity to resolve your concerns directly. However, if you feel we have not addressed your complaint satisfactorily, you can contact the organisations below for further advice or to escalate your concern.

Private dental treatment You can contact the Dental Complaints Service (for private care) within 12 months of treatment or becoming aware of the issue:

· Phone: 020 8253 0800 · Website: www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk

NHS dental treatment (England) If your complaint relates to NHS care, you can contact:

· Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

o Phone: 0345 015 4033 o Website: www.ombudsman.org.uk

· NHS England o Email: england.contactus@nhs.net

Regulators (private and NHS care)

· General Dental Council (GDC) – regulates dental professionals o Website: www.gdc-uk.org o Email: information@gdc-uk.org

o Phone: 020 7167 6000

Finance-related complaints If your complaint relates to finance or payment agreements, you can contact:

· Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

o Phone: 0800 111 6768 (freephone)

o Phone: 0300 500 8082