Complaints Policy

We take all complaints very seriously and try to make every patient experience at the practice a good one.

We understand that sometimes we may fall short of expectations and believe that all of our patients should have the opportunity to raise their concerns, make complaints and/or provide feedback.

We aim to address all complaints in a respectful and professional manner and resolve them as promptly as possible.

We can all learn from our mistakes and complaints are essential to us identifying any areas that may need improvement so that we may better the service we provide.

Important note: please include your full name, date of birth and address in all written complaints. In order to protect the confidentiality of all of our patients, we are unable to discuss or acknowledge any other patients of the practice without their explicit written consent or unless you are a legal guardian or legally authorised to speak on their behalf.

1. How can you make a complaint?

By phone or in-person: Patients can complain by telephone or in-person. We will try to resolve the matter directly if possible and appropriate. If this is not possible or appropriate, a patient will be asked to contact our complaints team in writing by email or letter (see below). Any requests for refunds should be made in writing.

By email or letter: A patient can complain in writing by email to [email protected] or by delivering a letter to 780 South Fifth Street, Milton Keynes, MK9 2FX.

Unfortunately, we cannot take responsibility for postal service failures and ask that patients hand deliver any letters wherever possible or utilise recorded/signed for delivery.

2. The complaints procedure

• The complaints manager, Mr Rhyann Peters, is responsible for managing the procedures for handling and considering complaints is the practice.

• We will aim to acknowledge all complaints in writing and will enclose a copy of this complaints policy within three working days.

We will respond via email unless you request communication by other means. If you have not received acknowledgement within three working days please contact the practice immediately, ideally by telephone, as sometimes complaints are not received due to technological or administrative errors which may be out of our control.

• If the complaint is about a dentist, or any aspect of clinical care or associated charges, this will be referred directly to the dentist concerned.

Every dentist is entirely responsible for their care and the practice does not take responsibility for any aspect of clinical care they provide, including their acts or omissions. If, for whatever reason, you do not wish the complaint to be forwarded to the dentist involved, please do let us know immediately.

• All dentists remain responsible for clinical care they have provided after leaving the practice.

Unless patients request otherwise, complaints will be forwarded to clinicians even if no longer working at the practice. Unfortunately it is out of the practice’s control whether such dentists respond.

Should a dentist fail to respond to complaints relating to them we
would advise patients to contact The Dental Complaints Service or the GDC directly.

• We seek to investigate all complaints in a manner appropriate to resolve it speedily and efficiently.

• We aim to keep the patient regularly informed, as far as is reasonably practicable, as to the progress of the investigation.

• We aim to respond to all complaints within 14 working days. If more time is required in order to fully investigate and respond to a complaint, we will communicate this with you.

• As part of the investigation procedure, we may ask to discuss the complaint directly with the patient by telephone, face to face meetings, letters or e-mail.

• When we have completed our investigation, we will provide the patient with a written response which will include an explanation of how the complaint has been considered, the conclusions reached in relation to the complaint, including any matters for which the patient specifies that remedial action is needed, confirmation as to whether any further action needed has been taken or is proposed to be taken.

• Proper records are kept of complaints received including any actions taken as a consequence of a complaint.

• Where a patient is excessively rude or aggressive in their promotion of a complaint, or the complaint is vexatious in nature, the practice may refuse further correspondence with the patient.

We do not tolerate any form of physical, written or verbal abuse towards any member of our team. Incidences of harassment will be reported to the police.

3. If we are unable to resolve the complaint locally

If and when our in-house complaints procedures have not resolved the matter, or are felt to be inappropriate to the patient’s needs or to the situation, patients are informed of any appropriate authorities to which they can take their complaint for further investigation if appropriate. These may include:

– The Dental Complaints Service on 020 8253 0800

– The Care Quality Commission (CQC), phone: 03000 616161, Email: [email protected]