Complaints Policy for Smile Solution (England)

Last Reviewed: May 2018

In this practice we take complaints very seriously indeed and try to ensure that all patients are pleased with their experience of our service.

We will do our best to learn from every mistake that we make and we will respond to a patients concern in a caring and sensitive way.

• The person responsible for dealing with any complaint about the service we provide is our practice manager, who will be contacted via the reception staff.
• We will listen to his/her complaint and offer to refer him/her to the practice manager immediately.
• If the practice manager is not available at the time, then the patient will be told when he/she will be able to talk to the orthodontist and arrangements will be made for this to happen.
• If the patient complains in writing the letter will be passed on immediately to the practice manager.
• If a complaint is about any aspect of clinical care or associated charges it will normally be referred to the dentist, unless the patient does not want this to happen.
• We will acknowledge the patient’s complaint in writing and enclose a copy of our code of practice as soon as possible, normally within two working days. We will seek to investigate the complaint within ten working days of the complaint being received to give an explanation of the circumstances which led to the complaint.  If the patient does not wish to meet us, then we will attempt to talk to him/her on the telephone.  If we are unable to investigate the complaint within ten working days we will notify the patient, giving reasons for the delay and the likely period within which the investigation will be completed.
• We will confirm the decision about the complaint in writing to the patient immediately after completing our investigation.
• Proper and comprehensive reports are kept in the event of any complaint received.

If patients are not satisfied with the result of our procedure, then complaints may be made to either NHS England, PO Box 16738, Redditch, B97 9PT for NHS treatment or telephone 0300 311 22 33 or e-mail contactus@nhs.net. If you are making a complaint please mark it for the attention of the complaints team in the subject line. For private treatment, to the General Dental Council, 37 Wimpole Street, London W1M 8DQ or www.dentalcomplaints.org.uk