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- office@shildonsmilecare.co.uk
- Mon - Fri: 8.45am - 5pm
Shildon Smile Care -Dental & Implant Centre Shildon CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PATIENT COMPLAINTS
At Shildon Smile Care -Dental & Implant Centre we take any complaint very seriously and we try to
ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service. If a patient complains,
we deal with it courteously and promptly in order that the matter is resolved as quickly as
possible. The procedure is based on these objectives.
Our aim is to react to a complaint in the way we would expect a complaint of ours to be handled. We
endeavour to respond to a patients’ concerns in a caring and sensitive way and strive to implement
improvements in our service, as a result of a complaint.
The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is either your
individual Dental Practitioner or our Practice Manager. Should a complaint be received at the
reception desk or on the telephone, we will listen sensitively and offer to refer the patient to the
Practice Manager immediately. If they are unavailable, then we will indicate to the patient when
contact can be made and the arrangements for this response. The member of staff will take brief
details of the complaint. If we cannot arrange a response within a reasonable period or if a
patient does not wish to wait to discuss the matter, arrangements will be made for someone else to
deal with it-normally one of the Principals or a senior member of the staff.
A written complaint will be dealt with by the person to whom it is addressed. Should a complaint be
regarding clinical care or associated charges, it will normally be referred to the Dentist, unless
the patient does not wish this to happen.
We will acknowledge a patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of this code of practice.
This will normally be upon receipt of a letter or within two working days. We will seek to
investigate any complaint within ten working days of a complaint being received and to give an
explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint. We are happy to meet in person,
however if the patient does not wish to meet us, then we will attempt to talk to him or her on the
telephone. If we are unable to investigate a complaint within ten working days we will notify the
patient, giving reasons for the delay and a likely period within which an investigation will be
completed.
We will confirm our findings and the decision regarding a complaint in writing to the patient
immediately after completing our investigation. Proper and comprehensive records are kept of any
complaint received.
If a patient is not satisfied with the result of our procedure then a complaint may be made to:
The Parlimentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank London
SW1P 4QP
Tel : 0345 015 4033