We want to provide you with the best possible care and service. If you are unhappy with any aspect of your treatment or your experience at the practice, please let us know. Your feedback helps us to understand what went wrong and how we can improve.

You will not be disadvantaged in any way because you have made a complaint.

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The person responsible for dealing with any complaints in the practice is Alia Faki

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How to Complain

You can make a complaint:

• In person to a member of our reception team or another member of staff

• By telephone

• In writing

• By email

You can complain yourself or ask someone to complain on your behalf. If someone is complaining on your behalf, we may need your consent before we can discuss confidential information about your care.

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You do not have to make your complaint in writing. We will provide reasonable help if you have difficulty making a complaint, including considering accessibility, communication or language needs.

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Data Protection Complaints

We recognise that individuals have the right to raise concerns about how their personal data is collected, used, stored, or shared. Any complaint relating to data protection will be taken seriously and handled in accordance with UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 requirements.

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What happens after you complain?

The practice follows the steps below when managing complaints:

• Step 1 – Receipt of Complaint

o The complaint will be received by a member of staff and passed to the Complaints Lead as soon as possible.

• Step 2 – Acknowledgement

o The complaint will be acknowledged within 3 working days. The complainant will be informed who is handling the complaint and how they can be contacted.

• Step 3 – Initial Assessment

o The Complaints Lead will review the complaint, identify any immediate risks or concerns, determine whether further information is required and agree the scope of the investigation.

• Step 4 – Investigation

o Relevant records, documentation and staff accounts will be reviewed. Where appropriate, clinical advice may be sought. The complainant may be contacted if clarification or further information is required.

• Step 5 – Progress Updates

o If the investigation cannot be completed within 10 working days, the complainant will be informed of the reason for the delay and provided with regular updates until the complaint is concluded.

• Step 6 – Outcome

o The complainant will receive a written response outlining: § The findings of the investigation § Any apology where appropriate § Any lessons learned § Any actions taken or planned • Step 7 – Escalation

o If the complainant remains dissatisfied, they will be informed of the relevant external organisations available to review their concerns.

• Step 8 – Learning and Improvement

o The complaint will be reviewed through the practice governance process to identify trends, learning opportunities and service improvements.

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We will treat your complaint confidentially and with respect. Where appropriate, we may offer a meeting or telephone discussion to help resolve your concerns.

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How long will it take?

We aim to deal with complaints as quickly as possible. At the time we acknowledge your complaint, we will discuss with you how we intend to investigate it and when you can expect a response. If we need more time than expected, we will let you know and explain the reason for the delay.

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Record Keeping

A record of all complaints, investigations, outcomes and learning actions will be maintained by the practice.

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Complaints to External Bodies

We hope that, if you have a problem, you will make use of our practice complaints procedure. We believe this will provide the best chance of putting right whatever has gone wrong and an opportunity to improve our practice. However, this does not affect your right to complain to an independent body, if you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us or you are dissatisfied with the result of our investigation.

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The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Telephone: 0345 015 4033

Website: https://www.ombudsman.org.uk

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Private Patients

The Dental Complaints Service handles complaints made by private patients.

Telephone: 0208 253 0800 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

Website: https://dcs.gdc-uk.org/

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Other Organisations

The GDC If your concern relates to the professional conduct or fitness to practice of a dental professional, you may also contact the GDC.

Website: https://contactus.gdc-uk.org/Complaint/Process/13

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The CQC: The CQC don't get directly involved with complaints made to the practice. They do, however, encourage giving feedback to service providers. To send feedback to the CQC please go to: https://www.cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on care

Telephone: 03000 616161 (Mon to Fri, 8.30am - 5.30pm Excluding Bank Holidays)