Complaints Procedure & Information

How to complain
We hope that most problems can be sorted out quickly as soon as they happen and with the person or persons concerned.  If your problem cannot be resolved in this way and you wish to make a complaint, we would like you to let us know as soon as possible, preferably within the first few days following the incident.  This will enable us to establish what happened more easily.  If it is not possible to do this 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 to the dentist who cares for your teeth.
Alternatively, you may ask for an appointment in order to discuss the situation.  The dentist will explain the complaints procedure to you and will ensure that your concerns are dealt with promptly. It will help if you are as clear as possible about your complaint.

What happens next?
We shall acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to look into your complaint within 10 working days of the date from which you brought it to our attention.  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 doesn’t happen again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else
Please note that we adhere 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 of age.