Practice Complaints Procedure

If you wish to bring any matter to our attention, we feel that the most effective and speedy resolution to any complaint can be achieved by contacting the practice first and allowing us to deal with your concerns in a positive and effective manor.

Please contact Richard directly should you wish to make a comment or a complaint.

We will acknowledge this within three days and give you a full response as soon as possible, we value your comments and will always take note of them.

If you are still unsatisfied then you can obtain help from Patient Advisory and Liaison Service (PALS) ON 0800-0851067 or ACAS via the Primary Care Trust. This is a mediation service to try to resolve issues by working with the patient and the practice, they will contact us and ask for our response in relation to your complaint and a process is carried through.

The dental complaints service on 08456 120540.

The General Dental Council complaints service on 0845 120540.

In this practice we take complaints seriously. When we receive a complaint, it is dealt with as a matter of importance.

Our aim is to react to complaints in a positive way. We use complaints as a tool to learn which areas could be addressed to avoid the same issue arising in the future.

First point of call is the reception.

If the receptionist is not equipped to handle the complaint she will refer the patient to Dr Richard Miller-White.

If a patient wishes to make a more official complaint, then the patient is given a copy of our complaints leaflet. This explain that they need to put the complaint in writing and address it to Dr Richard Miller-White.

Once we receive a letter of complaint we set up a file for the patient concerned and all correspondence sent or received will be placed here.

Dr Richard Miller-White will send the patient a letter of acknowledgement within 3 days while we investigate the issues raised. If the complaint is of a clinical nature it will be passed to the clinician involved to respond.

A response is drawn up within 10 days, if for any reason it is going to take longer we will let the patient know.

We have found that most complainants just want:

• An acknowledgement.
• An explanation.
• An apology.
• Reassurance that preventative action will be taken to ensure that there is no repetition.

If a patient takes their complaint outside of the practice and it related to the services provided by a clinician, then the clinician will need to contact their own personal Indemnity Insurance for an appropriate response.