Complaints Procedure

Patient Complaints

Here at St Cuthberts Dental Surgery we are committed to offer high standards of care and service to our patients. If we have failed to meet their expectations we will make best endeavours to deal with any dissatisfaction promptly and courteously and learn from our mistakes. The Practice Manager/Administrator Mrs J Rabbitts is responsible for running the complaints system on a daily basis and in the case of a complaint, ensuring that practice procedures and training are improved to prevent similar complaints from being made. The overall responsibility for the policy enforcement rests with D G Rees and J R Krum.

This procedure does not apply to oral complaints that have been resolved to patient satisfaction within 24 hours.

A complaint has to be made within 12 months of an incident happening.

Patients will receive an initial complaint acknowledgement from Mrs J Rabbitts within 3 working days with an offer to discuss the matter.

We will make every effort to fully investigate the issue properly and appropriately within 28 working days. If there is a delay in investigation we will notify the patient about it, giving the reasons and the likely date for its completion.

We will keep comprehensive records and will write to the patient with a detailed report signed by one of the partners. The report will contain an explanation of how the complaint has been considered, what conclusions have been achieved including any remedial actions needed. It is our goal to offer the best solution, as we never want to have unhappy patients.

If the patient is still dissatisfied after following the practice procedure the patient will be informed of the right to contact the Health Service Ombudsman, Local Government Ombudsman or The General Dental Council.

Patients who have complained will not be discriminated against in the future.

We will produce an annual report, which include actions to improve services. It will be made available to anyone who requests it.

Complaints log reported annually in Audit File

Complaints instruction notices for patients displayed in Waiting Rooms

16/0I/2018 Complaints policy updated

16/01/2019 Next Review Date