Complaints Policy

Our Commitment

It is the aim of this practice to have a clear and effective complaints procedure by meeting the GDC Standards for the Dental Team, the NHS complaints requirements, and delivering good practice in complaint handling. We have appointed Farhana Rathore as our Responsible Person and Complaints Manager.

Our complaints procedure is on display in all waiting rooms. A summary of our procedure is also available to patients in our patient guide.

Our Principles

Our feedback and complaints handling framework is built on the following principles:

• All patient feedback is important to us
• We want to make it easy for patients to raise a concern or complaint
• We follow a complaints procedure and keep patients informed throughout
• We will try to answer all patient questions and any concerns raised
• We want patients to have a positive experience of making a complaint
• Patient feedback helps us to improve our service

Recognising Complaints

Our team understands that a complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction by a patient (or their representative) about a dental service or treatment. Complaints can be verbal or written and may relate to any part of the service we provide. All complaints are logged internally, even if they were verbal and resolved within 24 hours.

Recording Complaints

All complaints are recorded on an Event Record and logged in our Event Register. All correspondence and investigation records are stored alongside the Record and Register. Complaint records are treated as strictly confidential at all times and kept separate from clinical records. Only authorised persons have access to complaint records. We submit our annual complaints report to the NHS and will make it available to any person who requests it.

Handling Complaints

Our practice team is trained to resolve all complaints promptly, efficiently and politely. We respond within the time limits set by our Patient Complaints Procedure and always provide constructive responses. We never discriminate against a patient who has made a complaint.

Team members listen carefully to complaints, involve patients fully in the process of managing them, and endeavour to meet any outcomes the patient expects — offering sincere apologies where appropriate.

If a patient remains unsatisfied despite our best efforts, they will be informed of other avenues open to them, including the GDC Dental Complaints Service, the NHS, or the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Response Timescales

All complaints will be acknowledged and responded to within the timescales detailed in our Patient Complaints Procedure. We keep patients informed of the status of their complaint during the investigation stage and always aim to resolve matters within the timeframe specified in our policies, or as agreed with the complainant.

Online Reviews

A designated team member regularly monitors online reviews. All feedback — both positive and negative — is acknowledged, and we follow best-practice recommendations when responding to poor reviews.

Continuous Improvement

The team is regularly trained in complaint handling and is involved in the regular review of complaints, procedures and management so that our services, policies and procedures can be continually improved.

Contact Us

If you have a concern or wish to make a complaint, please contact our Complaints Manager: